Just in time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which kicked off in DC this weekend, Washington Wizards player Rui Hachimura debuted his new kicks—Cherry Blossom Air Jordan XXXV PEs—in Sunday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. According to ESPN reporter Nick DePaula, the mint-green sneakers with pink-and-white blooms celebrate Hachimura’s “Japanese heritage and Washington’s annual festival.”
Hachimura grew up in Toyama, Japan, before attending Gonzaga University and ultimately being selected as a first-round NBA draft pick by the Washington Wizards in 2019.
“The Air Jordan XXXV ‘Cherry Blossom’ PE references the famous cherry blossoms in both Japan and Washington, DC, both of which typically bloom in March,” says Air Jordan’s website. “They are symbolic of hope and friendship.”
In addition to the new shoes (which, as a Players Edition, or PE, style are not available to the public), Rui Hachimura donned a Cherry Blossom-inspired kimono on Sunday night. The limited-edition “DC Cherry Blossom Kimono” is currently available for pre-order for $220 under Hachimura’s “Black Samurai” brand. According to the website, “the kimono tells the story of one of Washington DC’s most powerful icons, the cherry blossom tree, donated by the city of Tokyo in 1912, to memorialize the relationship between the two countries. The release is timed with the blooming of cherry blossom trees in Tokyo and Washington DC. The trees have a special significance to Hachimura, being Japanese and playing for the Washington Wizards.”
