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P.J. Tucker opens up on why he has close to 500 shoes: "I grew up not getting a ton of stuff"
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- P.J. Tucker opens up on why he has close to 500 shoes: "I grew up not getting a ton of stuff"
Aside from being one of the toughest and most passionate role players of his generation, P.J. Tucker has become notorious for his love for sneakers. The 19-year veteran has always been one to show off the rarest of rare kicks, treating them more like works of art.
He is arguably the league's best sneaker collector, routinely wearing super exclusive player editions , classic sneakers, and unreleased colorways before, during and after games that other sneakerheads can only dream of having in their collections.
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Tucker's love for sneakers has him being the league's sneaker king, and it's easy to see why. The 2021 champion has amassed a collection that only a few in the world have, reaching an absurd 500 pairs last season.
"That's 1,000% a fact," Tucker said . "That's not even counting lockers and boxes. I love my shoes. It's been my passion for my entire life as well. It's always coincided with basketball."
A part of basketball
Collecting sneakers has always been a part of Tucker's life since he was a child. Nowadays, sneaker culture has almost become synonymous with his name, and his passion for it dates back to a very young age, when he, like any other sneakerhead, would anticipate new pairs.
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"It's just something I always like. It's just a part of basketball to me," Tucker shared.
"I grew up not getting a ton of stuff. My one pair of shoes I knew I would get outside was my basketball shoes," he continued. "So, it was a big deal for me every year picking what shoes I was going to get for basketball season."
Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, Tucker really did not have much access to exclusivity when it came to different sneakers, unlike in other cities. And this continued even after P.J. played in Texas during college and went overseas professionally after his rookie season in the NBA.
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However, his childhood appreciation for sneakers never went away. By the time Tucker went to the NBA and made a name for himself, he continued to treat sneakers as something somewhat sacred and instead of signing exclusive endorsement deals like other players, P.J. remained a free agent, showing off different pairs, including rare Nike Kobe sneakers, Air Jordans and other player editions many had never even seen in person.
The shoe that started it all
Every sneaker collector remembers the pair that started their love for it, and for Tucker, that story began with Michael Jordan. Aside from MJ being his favorite player growing up, His Airness and his revolutionary Air Jordans had a personal connection.
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The original Chicago Air Jordan 1 is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball shoes ever. This rings true and more for P.J., who shared that it was his first-ever pair of sneakers and was ironically released the same year he was born.
"Michael Jordan is my favorite player, and it started with him," Tucker stated. " It was my first pair of shoes, actually. Chicago Jordan 1's born '85. It's my first pair ever, so, you know, it's kind of born with it."
Everything came full circle for Tucker in 2019 when he signed an endorsement deal with Nike, which gave him access to the most exclusive Air Jordans in the world. His love and obsession with the sneaker line even surprised MJ himself when P.J. wore the extremely rare Shawn Marion 5s during a game.
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In many ways, Tucker has become the ultimate embodiment of the intriguing relationship between basketball and sneakers. His sneaker prominence has arguably extended beyond his achievements on the court, something he would most likely be proud of.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
