How often do your eyes trail down during NBA games? How often do you feel the urge to check out the shoes that a particular player had donned during a matchup? If it’s constant, then join the club. It’s hard to be an NBA fan and not share an appreciation for the player-exclusive sneakers athletes highlight along with their on-court prowess. From Air Jordans to Stephen Curry’s Under Armour shoes, these sneakers seldom fail to leave an impression. To boast a sneaker in your name, a player must rise above all others. While Andrew Nembhard is building himself up, he is yet to reach the superstar stage, meaning he has had to use the exclusive sneakers for other players during his games. If you were curious to know the soles donning the shooting guard’s feet in the recent NBA Finals game, then read on to find out more.

What did Andrew Nembhard wear for Game 6 between the Pacers vs Thunder?

According to NBA and Footwear Industry reporter Nick De Paula, Andrew Nembhard had donned an AJ1-inspired Book 1 custom shoe for Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

The ‘Book’, of course, is Nike’s signature sneaker line bearing the name of Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. The Suns player became Nike Basketball’s 24th NBA signature athlete back in 2023. The first look at the Nike Book 1 was highlighted in the same year.

As highlighted by Slam, one of the first silhouettes, or colorways, of the Nike Book 1, served as an homage to the firsts in Nike Basketball history: the Air Force 1, the Air Jordan 1, and the Nike Blazer, aka the first Nike basketball shoe. Now, Devin Booker and Nike paid another tribute to Michael Jordan by adopting the same colorway of the iconic Air Jordan 1s that were made famous throughout the world when ‘His Airness’ wore them during his 1984-85 rookie season.

Andrew Nembhard has never specifically highlighted his love for Michael Jordan as a fan. Despite that, the player would still be privately holding feelings of appreciation for the Chicago Bulls legend and his shoes. Therefore, when you’re just 1 win away from securing your first NBA championship title, it feels appropriate to have the colors of the 6x NBA champion on your feet.

Does Andrew Nembhard have a shoe deal with Nike?

Andrew Nembhard signed with Nike back in October 2022, back when he had not even played his first NBA game. He was one of 14 NBA Rookies who had been signed to Sneaker Deals by the $87.83 billion worth brand. It had already secured the top draft pick of the 2022 class, aka Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, as he signed up with the Jordan Brand. The partnership was confirmed by several social media pages, along with appearances at the Olympic Hoop Summit. Nike also tagged him in posts featuring the swoosh. The exact financial details of Nembhard’s deal are not available in the public domain.

Over the years, Andrew Nembhard has alternated between wearing the Nike Book 1 shoes, the KDs (Kevin Durant’s signature line), and Kobes. As highlighted by ‘Kix Stats’, Nembhard played 38.8% (97 games) of his games in Nike Book 1 shoes, while 16.4% (41 games) of them were played in Nike Kobe IV Protro shoes.

Occasionally, Andrew Nembhard has also been seen wearing Converse shoes, more specifically the Converse Shai 001. While the 25-year-old does not have a deal with Converse, donning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s signature shoe is one way to support his teammate.

Andrew Nembhard’s shoes for the 2025 NBA Finals – from Game 1 to Game 6

For Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Andrew Nembhard wore the Nike Book 1 EYBL MSCO PE. The shoe had a blue colorway, with a silver Nike logo streaking on the sides. According to Sneaker Bar Detroit, the sneakers were made exclusively for EYBL athletes, and not for public release.

The player did not choose to go another way for Game 2 and donned the same shoes once again. For Game 3, which took place at home court, Nembhard went ‘Mamba’ mode and wore a pair of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro CHBL. The same shoes were also worn by the player in Games 4 and 5. Unlike the EYBL shoes, these Kobe sneakers dropped exclusively in Asian markets back in early June and were reportedly priced at $190 for adult sizes.

If the Indiana Pacers win, Andrew Nembhard might see a signature deal come his way. Then again, winning a championship might not be enough. The player still has a long way to go before a younger player, and other basketball enthusiasts, get a chance to wear a pair of Nike B’Hards. On second thought, we will leave the name selection to the brand.