Kanye West is not one to just talk the talk. In 2022, he vowed to go head-to-head with the brands that brushed him off creatively. After cutting ties with Nike and enjoying fruitful years with Adidas, Kanye West began forging his path with Donda Sports. The brand, created in 2022, initially aimed to represent pro athletes. Ye even inked deals with athletes Aaron Donald and Jaylen Brown. However, both athletes parted ways with Donda Sports amid Kanye’s 2022 controversies, and Ye lost two of his biggest clients.

Nevertheless, it looks like the bond between the athletes, and Kanye West is still holding strong. And maintaining the same, the rapper recently gifted some Yeezy goodies to one of the athletes he lost for Christmas. 

Kanye West gifts his newest launch to an NBA athlete on Christmas 

Kanye West, in the company of his family, including wife Bianca Censori and children North, Chicago, and Saint West, made a high-profile appearance at the Lakers vs. Celtics game in Los Angeles. Ahead of the match, West surprised Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown with a pair of YZY Pods. This was the first footwear product released since West parted ways with Adidas in October 2022. The Donda Times on X, formerly Twitter, reported this update with Yzy’s official handle posting a picture of the Pods on their Instagram. 

Featuring an integrated one-piece design reaching up to the calf, the YZY Pods debuted with an initial tonal black colorway and were offered in three different sizes. What made this launch even more intriguing is that it followed closely on the heels of Kanye West’s announcement of Gosha Rubchinskiy as the head of design at Yeezy– an artist who is also seemingly collaborating with Kanye West for ‘Vultures’.

Gosha Rubchinskiy shared an Instagram story that started the rumor mill about his involvement in Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s upcoming project, releasing on January 12th. 

Gosha Rubchinskiy’s involvement in Vultures 

Back in September, Ty Dolla $ign treated fans to a complete tracklist and album art personally drawn by Ye. Shortly after this reveal, Russian streetwear maestro Gosha Rubchinskiy reposted the same on his Instagram story. This hinted at his likely role as the artist behind the artwork. Ye and Rubchinskiy also share a personal history. Rubchinskiy previously inked two neck tattoos spelling out the rapper’s sons’ names. 

His latest Instagram post featuring a young model wearing a t-shirt with the cover of ‘Vultures’, made the rumors even more credible. Rubchinskiy also played a role in designing Ye’s merchandise before a controversial accusation temporarily halted their collaboration. Now, the Russian designer is back in charge of ‘Vulture’ merchandise, possibly having crafted the eye-catching two-eagle-headed logo for the project. 

What do you think about Kanye West gifting his newest launch to Jaylen Brown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!