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There is an elite group of current NBA players who are Nike players and have their own signature sneaker line: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Ja Morant. It could be argued that none of the future Hall of Famers have the best Nike autograph on the market right now. There is strong evidence that New York Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu currently holds the heavyweight belt.
Ionescu took the basketball world by storm in college and had one of the greatest amateur careers of all time. She was the first player in NCAA history to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds and dish out 1,000 assists. She broke the NCAA triple-double record and the Pac-12 (RIP) all-time assists record. And these are just a few of the many accomplishments she achieved while playing for Phil Knight’s pride and joy, the University of Oregon.
Sabrina has been playing for so long and it’s scary to think that she’s just entering her prime. She’s proven that she deserves to be in every conversation about great players, male or female. She solidified that fact when she set the all-time 3-point contest record at the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend and then went head-to-head with Steph Curry at NBA All-Star Weekend this year.
Ionescu was only three points behind Curry in the NBA and WNBA’s first-ever 3-point contest, but even a blind person could see that Ionescu was in her rightful place. She was standing in the middle of the court, under the brightest lights, representing the new generation of women and the young girls who were about to make their debuts.
“It’s the first time this kind of event has happened, and just being able to come out here and put on a show means a lot,” Ionescu said. “I’m excited to change the narrative and be with the best people ever.”
It wasn’t just Ionescu’s sweet strokes that caught viewers’ attention. It was her kicks, too. She wore the Nike Sabrina 1 in a clean colorway of the Liberty shade.
Ionescu has spoken several times about the idea that Sabrina 1 embodies the story of her childhood and her resistance to those who doubted her basketball skills, especially her ability to play basketball with boys.
Well, she took on the challenge. Nike and Ionescu laid a goldmine of foundations for her signature line with the Sabrina 1, which has become one of the most popular court choices in the basketball community.
“It’s not a women’s basketball shoe or a men’s basketball shoe, it’s just a basketball shoe,” Ionescu said of the Sabrina 1 in an interview with ESPN this year. “If we can tell that story and have people really embrace it and respect it, I think now is the time to push it.”
Whether you look at high school, college, WNBA, NBA, or local basketball gyms, you’ve likely seen plenty of feet wearing a variety of colorways of the Sabrina 1. The model was the fifth-most-used sneaker of the 2023-24 NBA season, with players racking up a total of 17,209 minutes in the silhouette.
And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Ionescu and Nike are spinning it again and spinning it some more.
Sabrina and the Swoosh released Ionescu’s second sneaker, the Nike Sabrina 2, and an apparel collection this June. Rather than completely revamping the design, they based it off the first silhouette, keeping a similar shape, cut, and cushioning.
“At the heart of the collection is our Sabrina 2 signature sneaker, built for the athlete who wants to accelerate and cut fast,” the brand said. “The Nike design team worked closely with Sabrina, combining the best of the Sabrina 1 with new upgrades to create a sneaker that is 28 grams lighter and doesn’t sacrifice support, stability or comfort.”
Some of these “new upgrades” include a Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole (a first for a Nike basketball shoe), a Nike Zoom Air Unit in the forefoot, an updated banding system around the midfoot, and a new “S”-inspired pattern that provides multi-directional traction for quick cuts. Select colorways will also feature a mirrored-finish Swoosh, which Nike describes as “Sabrina’s affirmation to the next generation to see themselves in our shoes.”
At first glance, the Sabrina 2 and Sabrina 1 are a testament to where Ionescu’s inspiration came from. Sporting two pairs of sneakers, her signature line has drawn early comparisons to Kobe Bryant’s.
Throughout her college years and early days at Liberty, Kobes were Ionescu’s go-to sneaker. The fact that Ionescu’s line is mentioned in the same context as Bean’s speaks volumes about the WNBA All-Star’s cultural appeal, but more importantly, her ability and dedication to elevating the women’s game to the national, and ultimately global, mainstream. It’s a vision she and Kobe shared.
Ionescu first met Kobe in 2019, when he and his daughter Gigi drove to watch her Ducks dismantle the USC Trojans. Ionescu became close to the Bryant family shortly thereafter. Kobe kept an eye on her throughout the season, often sending her encouraging words as she etched her name into the history books. That summer, Ionescu trained with Gigi and helped coach his women’s team, which Gigi was a member of.
“If I represented the present of women’s football, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew that,” Ionescu said in his eulogy at Kobe and Gigi’s memorial service in 2020.
More than four years later, Ionescu still “represents the present.” And at just 26, she represents the future, too. Think Gobi rocking the No. 8 for purple and gold.
“I grew up watching Kobe Bryant play and in the ring and from ring to ring, and living his greatness without apology,” she recalled. “I wanted to be just like him, loving every part of the competition, being the first to show up and the last to leave, loving the hard work, doing my best when I was feeling down, and making the people around me the best version of themselves. And then getting up the next day and doing it again. And that’s what I did. I got up and tried and got better. I got up and tried and got better.”
Watch Ionescu walk down the tunnel before a match, scroll through her Instagram feed or observe her demeanor during an interview and you’ll see an engaging personality that everyone wants to be around. But underneath that is a fierce competitor who approaches her craft with utmost seriousness and focus, and there’s a long list of results to show for it.
As I write this during the Olympic break, the New York Liberty are firing on all cylinders and comfortably hold the top record in the W. Ionescu is averaging 19.8 points, 6.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1 steal in a career-high 33.7 minutes per game.
Ionescu’s influence on the court is undeniable, and her off-court influence is just as strong. With the recent release of the Sabrina 1 and the Sabrina 2, she continues to push boundaries and make waves for those who follow. Nike signature athletes Aja Wilson and Kaitlyn Clarke are also set to release their first signature sneakers.
Ionescu was programmed to be a great player. All she had to do was be confident and not hesitate, like Kobe, about who she was and what she could bring.
Ionescu was a blessing to the game of basketball, and like Kobe, her presence will extend far beyond her playing days.
When she was in college, she said Kobe texted her: “Be yourself. You’ve been good enough, and you’ll always be good enough.” He wasn’t lying.
“I wanted to be part of a generation that changed basketball for Gigi and her teammates,” Ionescu said in her eulogy. “A generation where being born female didn’t mean you were left behind, and greatness wasn’t divided by gender.”
From her consistently dominant play to the incredible success of Sabrina 1 and 2, there seems to be no height Ionescu cannot reach. For those of you younger generations who were not fortunate enough to see Kobe live, watch as one of his closest disciples dissects his opponents with a relentless drive for excellence.
She’ll look great in the new Sabrina 2.
Photo credit: Getty Images and Nike
