Professional basketball player LaMelo Ball has revealed plans to launch a unique pair of custom sneakers, which will be available as a non-fungible token (NFT) before their physical release.
The collaboration between Ball, PUMA Hoops, and Gutter Dan, one of the co-founders of the popular Gutter Cat Gang NFT project, resulted in the creation of the “Guttermelo” NFT sneakers.
These limited-edition shoes are based on Ball’s renowned MB collection, specifically the MB.03 model. They feature the sleek thermal mode heat map design characteristic of Ball’s signature shoe line, along with a Gutter Cat Gang inscription on the tongue.
The Guttermelo NFT sneakers will be released on June 29, 2023, exclusively on the OpenSea NFT marketplace, priced at $175 per pair. NFT holders will have the opportunity to claim the physical sneakers during a specific time frame from July 18 to August 20.
This NFT venture follows Ball’s application for three trademarks in 2022, indicating his interest in entering the metaverse and NFT space.
It’s worth noting that other basketball players have also embraced NFT sneakers. In December 2022, Scottie Pippen collaborated with Orange Comet to launch his own NFT sneaker collection. Additionally, in 2021, Stephen Curry began selling NFT sneakers designed for virtual worlds such as Decentraland, Gala, and The Sandbox.
