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Nike Builds Realistic Ja Morant Statue in New York City

Nike surprised basketball players with a Ja Morant statue in New York City.

Pat Benson

Ja Morant and Nike made a major marketing move in New York City.
Ja Morant and Nike made a major marketing move in New York City. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

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Every summer, the NY vs. NY tournament becomes a stage for some of the top high school basketball players. With Nike's sponsorship, the event gains even more clout as the brand releases special sneakers and enlists its signature athletes to make appearances.

For this year's tournament, Nike took a much different approach with its star players, with Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant playing a pivotal role. He made an appearance at Gersh Park in Brooklyn, and so did a carbon copy of him.

Nike erected a lifelike statue of Morant to build hype and drive social media attention to the tournament. The lifelike statue looks just like Morant and even wore the latest colorway of the Nike Ja 1.

Earlier this week, the Nike Ja 1 "NY vs. NY" colorway officially launched online. Athletes and fans can purchase the limited-edition basketball shoes for $130 in adult sizes on the Nike website.

The rare colorway sports a mix of Court Blue and Aquarius Blue on the upper, while the Swoosh logo pops off the side of the shoe in Hyper Pink. Lastly, the "NY vs. NY" branding appears on the back heels.

Morant debuted his first signature sneaker on Christmas Day 2022, and the model officially launched the following spring. It has been over 18 months, and we are still waiting on the Nike Ja 2.

Luckily for basketball fans and sneakerheads, Nike is keeping us satisfied with a steady stream of new colorways throughout the summer. Hopefully, we will see Morant back on the court soon in his latest hoop shoes.

The sneaker community can follow Sports Illustrated for all their footwear news from the sports world and beyond.

Related News: The Nike Ja 1 "Reverse Scratch" releases on July 1 for $130 in adult sizes.

Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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