The Nike World HQ is home to advancements far beyond what the eye can see. More than 75 buildings house the ideas and revolutions that will bear fruit in the near future. A top-secret archival department spanning over seven decades of history remains undisclosed. Highly advanced research labs and testing facilities consume entire floors. And somewhere within the sprawling 400-acre campus in Beaverton, OR, resides the space where Ja Morant devised the focal point of his third Nike signature sneaker.
Pinned to a metal wall with magnets, a beige-colored backdrop served as Jas canvas upon which to create. In his gloved hands, a metallic silver can of spray paint. And thanks to the footage he posted to his Instagram story in early July, the sheet also reveals the journey that Twelve took to find the Nike Ja 3s nucleus.
At the top left of the fabric, a duo of stacked check marks showcased the beginning stages of his attempts. Toward the middle, a larger, more official effort was taken to connect the check. As the video begins, Ja hunches down, rocking a crisp white tee and jet black beanie, and perfects the logo in back-to-back attempts.
Yeah! Exactly, a voice shouts off camera.
An idea was born out of the accomplishment. Ja was spraying the black Swooshes at an angle, around 65 degrees if you want to get precise. The graffiti left behind fittingly resembled the letter J, so Ja threw an A next to it. The hallmark of the Nike Ja 3 stood right in front of the two-time All-Star.
I was able to be very creative in that room. I think it was my first time doing graffiti, but it worked out well. And we were able to bring it to life throughout the shoes in the Ja 3, Ja says, as he describes how he came up with the midfoot detail. We take many different approaches, but I feel like that day was special for me, because obviously we see what it led to. But there are a lot of new things I experienced. A lot of new things that I got to see. And I was pretty much just in my element being able to do what I love, but also being able to tell my story at the same time.
When Ja met with the design team before the silhouettes inception, he laid out the exact requirements for the next chapter of his story: something that talked before he laced it up. I wanted my third signature shoe to feel like my game and my personality. I told them, Dont be scared. Push it. Make it rugged, make it different. And they ran with it, he said when the 3 was initially revealed.
Spelling his name with a Nike check was more than enough talk. It spoke for itself, like a windmill Ja-breaker or an acrobatic 360 lay. The Nike Ja 3 is loud. Its bold. Its in your face, even from Section 303. The dial on the design language got turned all the way up to max volume. Scratches mark up the entire low-top, with an army of Jas raised signature logos building the path and then engulfing the traction pattern underfoot. But the eyes are drawn to the center of the silhouette, where the Swoosh is tilted at an angle to meet a carved-out A. No matter which way you turn it, the sneaker simply reads JA.
I feel like turning the Swoosh around to make it a J and then having the A was a very important part to the shoe, Ja says. I feel like that describes me the most.
Every time Ja Morant sits down with the brand to build out the framework for his next signature, he approaches the process with a desire for the final product to feel more like him than the last. Different. Fearless. Unique. An indescribable sensation thats explained exclusively through feeling.
He wanted to inject that same spirit into his third signature, to siphon it from himself into the Hybrid ZoomX cushioned model. He drew on the experiences that the game brought him, looking for the next inspiration that could speak to who he was as much as his name could. He turned to the days in Dalzell, SC, when he was jumping in and out of tractor tires with a medicine ball. Those grueling workouts that built up his bounce have become his favorite detail within the Nike Ja 3.
Just like the tread of a tire, Jas signature Nike logo has been turned into a gritty monogram pattern that overwhelms the sneakers real estate. From the edges of the eyestay all the way to the outsole, a litany of logos marches in the form of scratch marks. Up, down and across the upper, his stamp on the game is left with every step.
Those without 20/20 vision might need a magnifying glassthe detailing gets mad intricatebut Ja confirms, Its my logo throughout the whole shoe. Im pretty sure everybody knows my tire story. They say a lot, thats why Im so bouncy, Ja says. But I feel like that was the most [impactful] because obviously people hear it, but to be able to bring something that molded me into the player I am today into my shoe was something to be very proud of.
The Ja 3 exists entirely in Twelves dimension. Sculpted. Tuned. Calibrated to his frequency. Timeless quotes from his September 2024 press conference adorn each outsole. The right holds a number 1, surrounded by A happy Ja is a scary Ja. The left features the number 2 to complete his jersey number and reads, Im not even worried about proving them wrong. And the proportions of the traction patterns Ja logos quite literally bite into the court for grip, a nod to his ferocious bulldog crossover that lets him break defenders off any time he wants.
I feel like Im different. And every time I go into every shoe, I want it to feel more like me. And thats the approach we took with the 3, Ja says.
The first three colorways that arrived this summerthe New York-exclusive NYvsNY, Light Show and Peach Jam-exclusive EYBLall played up the JA inscription even more, using graffiti to spell out the A with multi-color fervor. In-depth explanations and introspective descriptions arent needed to connect with the energy that the Ja 3 radiates. Twelve poured enough of himself into his third signature that itll do that part for him. Its the brightest thing on your screen for a reason. And with the colorways hes got lined up for this coming season, good luck trying to look away. Its make them watch season.
A glow-in-the-dark, zombified ensemble called Spooky Season has been cooked up for Halloween. A mix of teal, black and red arrives on the Scratch 3.0, meshing effortlessly with the Grizzlies throwback threads. Golden yellows and deep blues clash in the best way possible on the mismatched Channel 12 pair. Theres even a floating Ja logo trapped in the tongue tab of the Snowed In colorway, just like a snowglobe. Twelves got plenty in store for the future. No waiting around for first-looks required.
Leaks from overseas spoiled the fun and the anticipation of numerous Nike Ja 2 colorways last season. So five months after the Nike Ja 3 Price of Admission made its debut in the 2025 NBA playoffs, Ja is giving 11 total colorways the spotlight for KICKS 28. Remember his IG story from late July featuring every single colorway thats dropping through the holiday season? Straight from the set. Unlimited appetizers. Live on location from Nike NY HQ.
You can thank Twelve for the vast reveal. From the Easter eggs hidden within the silhouette to the summertime rollout, the Nike Ja 3 is his most personable tour yet. The album on rotation is Lil Babys 2018 Street Gossip mixtape. It captures the essence of his third signature within seconds. Why? Because the first song is Global. And thats where were taking it, Ja says.
Switched it up, and I went global.
Nah, like literally. The Swoosh planned an entire tour for Twelve this summer to tout the new heaters across the globe. There he was in North Augusta, handing out the EYBL colorway to players at Peach Jam. Then, a courtside appearance in the Bronx that promptly flooded Watson Park with the NYvsNY exclusive. Days later, he was putting on a dunk contest in Shenzhen with the Light Show installment. Then it was off to Tokyo. And then Manila.
The third volume in Jas signature lineage with the Swoosh is an extension of his game. His personality. The moments of brilliance, of inspiration, of grinding to get here, all channeled into a cohesive concoction of ballistic mesh, full-length ZoomX foam and reinforced rubber sidewalls. The reimagined take on Twelves footwear is amplifying what already was and will continue to be: Ja Morant being his unapologetic self.
Be different. Pretty much separate yourself, Ja says as a challenge to anyone whos planning on lacing a pair up. The Ja 3 was an outside-of-the-box idea, and we went with it because we all believed in it. And we brought it to life. I feel like for the kids out there playing, you might have some that are probably underdogs or some that probably dont think they can make it. But its having that confidence in yourself, that belief in what you do, you know, what you do, that can take you to that next level.
The same belief that helped Twelve build the Nike Ja 3.
Portraits by Jon Lopez. Sneaker photos by Abdel Kyle Traore.
