IN PHOTOS: Paul George and Nickeil Alexander-Walker lace up in rare Nike Air Yeezy 1 before tip-off
The Nike Air Yeezy 1 is an incredibly rare and expensive shoe. Despite it being hard to come by, Paul George and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were spotted wearing a pair before their respective games on Wednesday night.
When arriving to the arena, NBA players are always trying to show off their sense of style. George and Alexander-Walker were both in rather casual outfits, but made sure to show out with their Nike Air Yeezy 1's.
Alexander-Walker was spotted in the rare shoe first, as the Minnesota Timberwolves faced off against the Boston Celtics. Thanks to a dominant outing from Jayson Tatum, the Celtics were able to win this battle of each conference's top team.
Later on in the night, George was spotted in his Nike Air Yeezy 1's heading into Crypto.com Arena. The LA Clippers were slated to face off against Scottie Barnes and the new-look Toronto Raptors. George finished with 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a six-point win for LA.
Can the Nike Air Yeezy 1 that Paul George was wearing be purchased?
For those that want to get their hands on the shoes Paul George and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were wearing, they are available to be bought. However, they sell at an extremely high price tag.
The Air Yezzy was first introduced in 2009, and was a histroic shoe in Nike's history. This marked the first time that the famous brand had a non-athlete (Kanye West) fully help collaborate on a sneaker. After the first pair did so well, Air Yeezy 2's dropped in 2012 and 2014.
George and Alexander-Walker were spotted wearing the "Net" colorway of the Nike Air Yeezy 1's. Per StockX, this shoe sells for anywhere between $4,500 and $13,999.
When the shoe first hit the shelves, it sold at a retail price of $215. Since then, re-sellers have made massive amounts. When the Air Yeezy 2 was released, one person paid $90,000 on eBay to secure a pair.
This steep price tag is nothing to a player like George, who has done well for himself financially in the NBA. Through his first 14 seasons in the league, the All-Star forward has made over $305 million. Reports emerged earlier this week that he is in talks with the Clippers on a new contract.
As for Alexander-Walker, the young guard has also managed to make a sizable amount of money. He signed a multi-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer worth $9 million.
Both players being signed by Nike might have helped them get their hands on such a rare shoe. George used to have his own line of signature shoes, but it was discontinued in 2022. The Clippers star released six different sneakers as part of his own line.