P.J. Tucker is a well-known name in the sneaker world, having access to pairs that even his NBA counterparts find hard to wrap their heads around. According to several reports online, Tucker has over 5,000 pairs. Thus, it was only a matter of time before he fell short in real estate.
Ultimately, P.J. had no option but to allocate an entire house to his sneakers, considering the maintenance factor. It is almost impossible to determine the value of his collection. That said, he does have pairs worth $250,000, which refer to the diamond-encrusted Air Jordan 1s.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn 2021, Tucker partnered with eBay and the charity Soles4Souls, allowing fans and the general public to choose from 50 pairs from his personal collection. According to Esquire, the lot on sale included player-exclusive LeBron 7s, old-school bangers like the Heinken Dunk Low, and new-school standouts like the Nike x Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Air Foamposite One.
Letting go of 50 pairs was never going to be easy for P.J., who admitted it was a somewhat challenging process.
"It was tougher than I thought it was gonna be, in a sense, but in a sense, it was a lot easier than I thought it was gonna be because a lot of stuff was left back in Milwaukee, was left back in Houston when I did all these moves this past season," shared the 2021 champion.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"So it was weeding through the game-worn stuff that I already wore, new game-worn stuff that I already wore, my [player-exclusive] stuff that I already wore, and a couple new pairs thrown in there," added Tucker, who had an assistant browse through the collection and seek approval over FaceTime and Zoom.
Tucker had MJ's attention
Often making news for his one-of-a-kind sneaker repertoire, P.J. even got the great Michael Jordan intrigued. Attending a Charlotte Hornets-Phoenix Suns game back in the day, MJ was surprised to see Tucker rocking a Shawn Marion Air Jordan 5 Player Exclusive (PE).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementReminiscing about the encounter, Tucker did find himself a bit tongue-tied.
"He was down there at the end of the bench, and I was in the corner right by him. I heard somebody calling my name, and I turned around, and he's like, 'Where did you get those from?' I just kind of laughed to myself. Jordan just asked me where I got a pair of Jordans from. It was crazy," recalled the North Carolina native.
Tucker surely had some solid connections, which the Jumpman also found hard to comprehend.
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The inception of a sneakerhead
Growing up in North Carolina, Tucker was no stranger to the fandom of Jordan. As a kid, his first-ever pair was the Chicago Jordan 1s. Interestingly, it was his mother who introduced him to the world of sneakers, with P.J. having only two things on his mind: basketball and sneakers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It was just a thing… waiting in the morning for sneakers so I can wear 'em to school that day. It was the fabric of P. J. Just what I did," said the 6'5" forward.
Not doubting his basketball skills, but it certainly won't be wrong to say that for many, Tucker will be remembered as the ultimate NBA sneaker champ.
Related: Dwyane Wade says the Steph Curry–Under Armour split shows how much the sneaker industry is struggling
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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