"So inspirational": Hoops fans react to James Harden gifting 5-star prospect Kaleena Smith with his signature Adidas shoes

LA Clippers guard James Harden just made the day of rising high school phenom Kaleena Smith and the basketball world is loving it. He gifted her a pair of his latest signature Adidas Harden Vol. 9 shoes.

Adidas Basketball shared snaps of their meet-up on Instagram on Wednesday, captioning:

“The OG welcomes the future of the game. Now🤝Next.”

Fans quickly flooded the comments section, celebrating both Harden’s gesture and Smith’s bright future. One fan wrote:

“Harden is so inspirational.”

Adidas Basketball's Instagram comment section

Others added:

“The cycle of greatness.”

“🔥🔥🔥 The future is bright.”

One fan hyped up Smith’s college future, saying:

“South Carolina is waiting for you. Dawn Staley is the best.”

Another showed appreciation for Harden’s mentorship, commenting,

“Love the support you do, man.”

Of course, some fans couldn’t resist cracking a joke about the “Now🤝Next” tagline in the post caption, with one writing:

“Lol, I don't know about James being ‘now,’ but special is definitely next. 😂♥️”

Kaleena Smith, a five-star prospect and the No. 1 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class, made history in November when she became the first high school female athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas. The deal doesn’t just benefit her; it also ensures Adidas sponsorships for her high school team, Ontario Christian High School, and her AAU team, which is joining the 3SSB circuit this season.

Harden was one of the first to welcome Smith to the Adidas family when she signed the NIL deal, dropping a simple but powerful comment on Adidas’ announcement post:

“Welcome to the family.”

Harden, who signed a 13-year, $200 million contract with Adidas in 2015, continues to be a major face of the brand. According to Sports Illustrated, his latest signature shoe, the Harden Vol. 9, will be released in at least six colorways over the next few months.

Following the January 25 drop with Cyber Metallic (Silver & Black), the next will be on February 22 with Pearlized (White & Black), March 15 with Metamorphosis (Green & Black), April 5 with Hell Cat (Black & Red) and May 10 with Ice Metallic (Blue & Silver).

Kaleena Smith on Rampage This Season

Kaleena Smith is putting up some serious numbers on the scoreboard this season to cement her legacy as the No. 1 high school baller. Last Saturday, she stashed 26 points against the Lynwood Knights. Before that, Smith destroyed La Jolla Country Day, with her 37-point attack leading to an 88-35 victory.

Smith is averaging 23.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game in the 2024-25 season, proving she is a basketball powerhouse. Top basketball coaches like South Carolina's Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey of LSU are keeping a close tab on her. The LSU coach was present during the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in December last year to witness the magic of Kaleena Smith firsthand and she didn't disappoint. She dropped 29 points, asserting her dominance on the court.