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LA Lakers starting point guard D'Angelo Russell is the latest NBA player to sport a Players Exclusive or PE version of their sneakers. Of course, he wore shoes from the Chinese brand Li-Ning, with whom he signed as a brand ambassador in 2019.
Specifically, he wore the Way of Wade 10 featuring the unique "Joker" colorway. He wore these shoes during their most recent game against the Portland Trail Blazers and a few close-up photos of the shoes taken during the pre-game warm-ups were shared on Instagram.
Here are a few snapshots of the Lakers point guard wearing the Way of Wade 10 colorway.
Also read: "Sometimes may not be in agreement": Darvin Ham admits discord with trade candidate D'Angelo Russell.
D'Angelo Russell had a monster game while wearing the Way of Wade 10 Joker PEs
The Lakers are in desperate need of more wins and they were able to secure a huge one against the Blazers. They ended up routing them 134-110 to bring their record to 22-22 and D'Angelo Russell played a huge role in their victory.
Russell led his team in minutes, playing 33 minutes and 56 seconds. He scored 34 points on 14-for-21 shooting from the field and 6-for-11 from downtown. He also had the most assists on his team as he dished the rock eight times. To round out his performance, Russell ended the night with two blocks.
More performances like this in their upcoming games could drive up his value in the trade market, which would be very helpful for the Lakers. Alternatively, it could cause the front office to keep him on the roster longer, past the trade deadline (Feb. 8).
Who are the other Li-Ning Way of Wade brand ambassadors in the NBA?
Li-Ning may not be as popular as Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour, but they have several NBA players aside from D'Angelo Russell.
One of the biggest names who has signed with Li-Ning is Dwyane Wade, who was formerly with Converse and Jordan before transferring to the Chinese brand in 2012. In 2018, Wade and Li-Ning signed a lifetime deal back in 2018.
Aside from Wade, New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum is also a brand ambassador for Li-Ning. McCollum became a part of the brand in 2017, a year after he won the league's Most Improved Player award.
Retired players Baron Davis, Jose Calderon and Evan Turner were also a part of Li-Ning.
