New Balance and five-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Champion Kawhi Leonard have announced the release of their brand new, ‘KAWHI III,' on Thursday. The Los Angeles Clippers star will debut the ‘KAWHI III' Alpha Predator colorway in Thursday night's matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“This season, together with the New Balance design team, we decided to tell stories that tap into how I think and attack on the court,” said Kawhi Leonard in a statement with New Balance. “So every colorway of the ‘KAWHI III' taps into that thinking. The ‘KAWHI III' brings new technology that allows me to take my game to the next level, and that’s super important to me and I am excited for other players to be able to experience it.”
‘Recharged Chakra,' ‘Multi-Dimensional,' and ‘Sacred Geometry' are among the colorways that the ‘KAWHI III' will come in, with Leonard expected to rock them throughout the 2022-23 NBA season.
In a joint effort, Kawhi Leonard helped guide New Balance's shoe designers in the development of the ‘KAWHI III' with three major words in mind: Responsiveness, explosiveness, lightweight.
This year wasn't just any year for Leonard. Coming off an ACL injury that held him out for the entire 2021-22 season, Kawhi Leonard needed a shoe that was built to not only handle, but complement his game.
“The ‘KAWHI III' was built to bring the creativity of Kawhi to life,” New Balance said in a statement. “Kawhi’s incomparable two-way game informed the shoe’s streamlined look, lightweight upper, and full-length FuelCell cushioning. The debut colorway, Alpha Predator, takes inspiration from Kawhi's dominance on the court similar to the apex predator who sits at the top of the food chain allowing him to the attack without fear of anyone getting in his way.”
The ‘KAWHI III' is the third signature shoe for the New Balance athlete. Kawhi Leonard's first signature shoe with the brand was the TWO WXY and the second were the OMN1S.
“Performance-led innovation and quality are in our DNA, and our basketball shoes are no exception,” said New Balance General Manager for Performance Basketball, Trent Casper. “We worked closely with Kawhi to develop a shoe that helps enhance performance on the court and take his, and other basketball athlete’s game to the next level.”
The brand new ‘KAWHI III' Alpha Predator colorway will be available for purchase starting February 10th and will cost $160. ‘Recharged Chakra,' ‘Multi-Dimensional,' and ‘Sacred Geometry' are among the colorways that will be made available for purchase, as well as an additional colorway inspired by New Balance colors.
Kawhi Leonard headlines New Balance's talented list of NBA athletes, including Bulls star Zach LaVine, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Thunder forward Darius Bazley, and Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith.
In 28 appearances for the LA Clippers this season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging 21.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.1 percent from three.
Leonard is also coming off a month in which he was a finalist for the ‘Player of the Month' award, averaging 27.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.9 steals on 54.6 percent shooting from the field, 45 percent from three, and 91.8 percent from the free throw line for the Clippers.
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