NBA Sneaker Watch: Jordan XX9 Released! Michael 'Air' Jordan Unveils The Tinker Hatfield Design; OKC Thunder's Russell Westbrook Debuts New Colorway!

On the NBA Sneaker Watch, the season's biggest release has made its on-court debut. The Jordan XX9 was unveiled by no less than His Airness, Michael Jordan. OKC Thunder's Russell Westbrook breaks in the shoe during the playoffs.

The Jordan XX9 has several new features. Being an anticipated release, Jordan sought renowned shoe designer Tinker Hatfield. While the usual release date is in February for the All-Star game, they moved it to April. Brand manager Larry Miller explained in a press release (from Sole Collector):

"Our mission is laser-focused: We want to provide the absolute best performance products to our athletes, from elite high school athletes to professional players competing for championships. By shifting to a fall launch, we ensure players around the world will have the very best in performance and style available as they prepare for the season."

Tinker Hatfield shared his insights on ESPN: "The elephant print is a unique icon that people can associate back to the brand and to Michael himself. When you watch television, things start to not look that distinctive.  This shoe won't have that problem."

The Air Jordan is the most popular signature basketball shoe in the history of the personalized shoes and is the top model around the world. In the U.S. alone, the sales figure reached $2.5 billion in the US alone! Hatfield declared: "When people buy an Air Jordan, they are buying part of Michael's DNA."

Of course, the latest shoe model should be exhibited on the court. Jordan Brand's lead endorser (after Dwyane Wade left) Russell Westbrook obliged. The story from Sole Collector:

"Following Thursday's unveiling, the Air Jordan XX9 finally made its on-court debut in the playoff opener between the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The first player to lace up the new game shoe was Russell Westbrook, Air Jordan lead for the past two seasons. His OKC-inspired 'Home' colorway is white-based with photo blue elephant print and branding, orange trim and a translucent outsole. Whether or not we'll see Westbrook's PE release is unknown at the moment."