PJ Tucker will open his sneaker shop

In addition to having the reputation of being one of the best defenders of the NBA, PJ Tucker is known above all for being the ''sneaker king'' of the whole league, with thousands of pairs of extremely rare and invaluable shoes. The center (yes, the center) of the Houston Rockets, known for its unbridled passion for shoes, announced during an Instagram Q&A with NiceKicks - in which Nate Robinson also appeared - that will open its sneakers boutique within the end of the year right in the Texan city.

"We are looking to do the inauguration in October," said Tucker. "We have a lot of collaborations coming up. We will have a lot of fun, I'm excited."

Tucker will join a number of former NBA players such as Bobby Simmons, Derrick Williams and Derek Anderson who have already opened shoe stores in the past. LeBron James has also been co-owner of the UNKNWN store in Miami since 2011, which opened during his first season with the Heat. Tucker is looking to bring a new perspective to the city where he felt most comfortable in the NBA. Although the physical location of the store has not been revealed, an Instagram @TheBetterGeneration account and website have already been created and are currently inactive.

"The culture of sneakers in Houston is fantastic," he said. "There are a lot of sneakerheads and a lot of people who love shoes - much more than I thought. I just think there should be more activity."

Tucker, at his ninth season in the NBA, has worn Nike throughout his career, also refusing signature shoes from several other brands in order to constantly change his playing shoes: "it has always been a dream of mine [that to be sponsored by Nike], as much as getting to the NBA"he said. His agreement with the Swoosh in fact provides a variety of exclusive and personalized colors of the latest sneakers and personalized editions of models from the Kobe line.

After the NBA eased its restrictions on shoe colorways in 2018, Tucker quickly became the cult character to follow for all sneaker enthusiasts; in addition, the constant growth of Instagram accounts - also official NBA - which highlight the pre-game outfits of the players, have enriched the opportunity for Tucker & co. to show off their collection of sneakers on and off the pitch.