Sabrina Ionescu approves as $40,008,489 guard shows out in her signature shoes with near double-double outing
As Sabrina Ionescu's debut signature shoe was coming out in late 2023, a number of players made it their go-to sneaker for intense NBA competition. Among the NBA stars who have rocked the Nike Sabrina 1 include Jalen Brunson, Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jordan Clarkson.
On Friday, Houston Rockets star Amen Thompson put up an Instagram post that shows him rocking pink Sabrina 2s during his team's 102-98 win over the Miami Heat. In this post, Thompson is shown finishing strong on a couple of drives against Heat defenders inside Kaseya Center:
Though Thompson — whose current four-year contract is worth $40,008,489 as per Spotrac — did a great job of showcasing his athleticism in these clips, Ionescu called attention to one particular facet of his appearance:
Thompson is making the Sabrina 2s look good with his performance in his first two seasons. The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has gone from 9.5 ppg and 6.6 rpg in his rookie year to 14.1 ppg and 8.3 rpg this season. Against Miami, Thompson recorded 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in 35 minutes on the court.
With the Rockets going on a nine-game winning streak stretching into late March, Thompson and his Sabrina 2s are set to get even more exposure in the playoffs.
Ionescu, of course, put on a show in her shoes when she won her first WNBA championship with the New York Liberty in 2024. During the Liberty's playoff run last year, Ionescu averaged 16.9 ppg on 39.6% field goal shooting, as well as 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
Sabrina Ionescu gets involved in heated moment during Asia tour
While Ionescu raved over Thompson's choice of shoes in that Instagram post, she was less than pleased during a particular stretch in her recent Asia tour for Nike.
During her visit to the Philippines earlier this month, Ionescu played an exhibition game with a select group of Filipino athletes. When one high school hooper decided to turn up the intensity on defense, Ionescu's competitive instincts kicked in. During one dead-ball situation, she gave a small shove and threw the ball a bit too aggressively at a player:
Shortly after throwing the ball at her opponent, Sabrina Ionescu flashed a smile and everyone moved on.