Kanye West has his eyes on basketball.
Kanye West has never been afraid to drop a basketball reference.
From running the give-and-go with Jay-Z on “Big Brother” to Yeezy Yeezy Yeezy jumping over Jumpman on “Facts” the 44-year-old Chicago rapper has always brought on-court inspirations into the recording booth.
Now it looks like Ye is ready to venture all the way into basketball.
Besides lyrics and Kim Kardashian renting out the Staples Center so Yeezy could hoop on his birthday, we haven’t gotten to see a ton of hands-on, basketball Ye. There have always been rumblings of Bulls uniforms that never came to fruition but never anything concrete.
That changes now.
With the establishment of Donda Academy in California and an apparent YZY BSKTBL sneaker on the way, it looks as if Kanye is really going for it this time.
The YZY BSKTBL sneaker, which yeezymafia on Instagram said would cost $260 and come in a “3D Slate Blue” colorway, features a knit design with what looks like a compression ankle holder and a Wave Runner-esque sole situation. Possibly wearing that sneaker in the future will be Jahki Howard.
Howard, a five-star sophomore, has reportedly transferred to West’s Donda Academy, located in Simi Valley, California and is going to suit up and play ball for the school next season. It’s also being reported that two more prospects, Robert Dillingham (UNC commit) and Jalen Hooks (four-star prospect) have made their choice and will be heading to Donda Academy to join Howard.
How West’s basketball academy works out is yet to be seen, and as a handful of alternative basketball and high school sports options have floundered in the past years (LaVar Ball’s JBA & Bishop Sycamore) it’s possible that it doesn’t end positively, but one thing is clear: Kanye seems to be all in on basketball. Whether that’s to start a California high school basketball cold war with Drake and LeBron-supported Sierra Canyon is up for debate, but it’s clear Donda Academy is gearing up for the future.
What do you think of Kanye’s basketball sneakers and Kanye’s basketball team? Let us know in the comments.
[Via]