In a decisive Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a commanding victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. SGA scored 34 points to seal the series win, while Converse capitalized on the moment with an ad that subtly taunted Adidas and Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves’ rising star.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current NBA MVP, has been aligned with Converse since 2021, signing a lucrative multi-year signature shoe deal. The brand recently released an ad that both celebrated SGA’s playoff success and took aim at Edwards, who serves as Adidas’s leading NBA figure.
Converse’s New Campaign Takes a Direct Aim at Adidas and Anthony Edwards
The advertisement features a black ant accompanied by the phrase Nothing Left 2 Say? Unbelievable. This wording appears to be a deliberate response to Edwards’ Adidas campaign slogan, Believe That. By using the term Unbelievable, Converse’s message delivers a challenge to Edwards’s narrative while underscoring Gilgeous-Alexander’s playoff dominance.
Over the five-game series, SGA outperformed Edwards significantly, averaging 31.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. In contrast, Edwards posted averages of 23.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. While Edwards maintained a high shooting percentage, his overall aggressiveness was noticeably diminished compared to his earlier playoff rounds.
The Thunder’s defensive pressure clearly limited Edwards’s impact, and the Timberwolves now face uncertain offseason decisions regarding key players. Julius Randle and Naz Reid may enter free agency if they opt out of their contracts, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Significance of Gilgeous-Alexander’s Partnership with Converse
Once a dominant brand in basketball, Converse lost ground to Nike and Adidas throughout the 1990s. However, the company marked a pivotal return to relevance by partnering with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2021. His recent signature shoe deal and appointment as Creative Director have elevated both his influence and the brand’s visibility in basketball culture.
Gilgeous-Alexander chose Converse largely due to its underdog status, which resonated with his own journey in the NBA.
“The underdog mentality that the brand has and that I’ve had my whole career,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Our stories kind of align with that. We have the same vision for the future of Converse basketball.”
As this season’s NBA MVP, SGA’s success justifies Converse’s investment, suggesting he could transform the brand’s profile much like Steph Curry did with Under Armour in elevating a then smaller sportswear company into a major player.
What This Means for the Ongoing SGA Converse Adidas Anthony Edwards Rivalry
The rivalry between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards extends beyond the basketball court into brand competition, exemplifying how player endorsements influence market dynamics. Converse’s bold marketing move highlights the stakes for Adidas’s star Edwards as the NBA landscape shifts.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves must evaluate critical roster choices that could reshape their future competitiveness. For Converse, SGA’s rise offers a renewed opportunity to challenge Nike and Adidas’s dominance in basketball footwear, amplifying anticipation for next season’s developments both on and off the court.