Chet Holmgren stars in ad for KD 17s after Kevin Durant debuts new shoes
Apr 23, 2024, 6:05 AM
Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns debuts his new KD 17 shoes. (X Photo/@Suns)
(X Photo/@Suns)
From an Oklahoma City legend to the potential next big thing, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant challenged Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren to put the city on his shoulders in a new ad for the Nike KD 17 sneakers.
Durant debuted his newest signature kicks during Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs Saturday at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Chet Holmgren stars in Nike’s new KD 17 spot.
Narrated by Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/li2YdxtWvJ
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) April 22, 2024
“You think you could do it? I’m not just talking ball. You think you could put the whole city on your shoulders? Well step up then,” Durant says in the ad.
“I know I can do it,” Holmgren responds while holding the “Sunrise” KD 17s. “Even though I follow in the footsteps of a legend, I’m walking my own path.”
Holmgren played 82 games this season for the No. 1 seed Thunder and is a Rookie of the Year finalist.
The 22-year-old signed with Nike and told Boardroom — co-founded by Durant and Rich Kleiman — he stuck with GT Cuts and KD16s during his rookie year in OKC.
“To see KD and Bron and Kobe have a new shoe every year for 20 years is crazy, because something like that’s not easy from an individual standpoint or from the company side of Nike,” Holmgren told Boardroom. “Keeping a shoe line going for 20 years is definitely impressive, knowing how much it takes.”
Kevin Durant debuts his 17th signature sneaker, the Nike KD 17 for the #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/wJKgXMprbo
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) April 20, 2024
Durant’s first signature shoe, the Nike KD 1, debuted in 2008, and he has been a staple name in the shoe game ever since. His teammate Devin Booker’s first signature shoes — the Nike Book 1 — dropped this year.
Holmgren said his future shoes, be it PEs or signatures, will come down to how he performs.
The Thunder are up on the New Orleans Pelicans 1-0, in large part thanks for the seven-footer’s 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
