New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce — Ep. 173

Caitlin Clark on New Nike Ad, Signature Shoe & Fantasy Punishments + Week 18 Preview
Aired: December 31, 2025 | Hosts: Jason & Travis Kelce | Guest: Caitlin Clark

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Jason and Travis Kelce welcome back basketball phenomenon Caitlin Clark for her second appearance. The conversation centers around Caitlin’s groundbreaking new Nike ad campaign and her upcoming signature shoe, the CC1s, with plenty of fun banter about sports, sneakers, and NFL fantasy punishments. The trio also covers Team USA basketball, NFL playoff predictions, and personal stories about gifts, athletic dreams, and family hijinks.

Highlights & Main Segments

1. Caitlin Clark Returns: Nike Ad & Signature Shoe

• [04:00] Caitlin Clark joins the brothers, bringing insight, humility, and humor.
• [04:11] Travis: “Let’s talk some Nike. We’re honored to be a part of your Nike launch...How's it feel to finally have it all out there?"
• Caitlin shares her excitement about her signature Nike shoe, the lengthy design process, and the personal touches in her first commercial, which featured both Kelce brothers, Travis Scott, and her college coach.
• [04:34] Caitlin: "Just getting the people more excited with the logo... it was fun to shoot, and really thankful that everybody was a part of it, especially you guys. You made it fun. You brought the energy."
• Discusses sneaker culture: choosing Nike for their product quality and legacy, her input on the technology, and the shoe’s meaning for young athletes.
• [09:23] Caitlin: “It's been like a year and a half now of... figuring out what exactly I want. You want it to be unique, but at the same time, I have to be comfortable wearing it.”

Notable Quote

• [11:46] Caitlin: “LeBron's on shoe 23 now, which is like crazy to think about how long his signature line has lasted.”

2. Sneaker Stories & Shoe Design Deep Dive

• Delving into the tech behind basketball shoes—fit, comfort, and the meticulous design process.
• Caitlin explains how overseas fans cut open shoes to analyze the tech, showing global sneaker culture passion.
• [13:32] Caitlin: "The technology that we're going to put into it isn't anything they've ever put into a basketball shoe before."
• Jason shares his struggles with football cleat molds and getting old pairs re-glued by a cobbler.

Memorable Anecdote

• [15:07] Jason: “I was wearing this cleat up until like 2024. I’d have to take them to a cobbler in South Philly who would have to re-glue it because the glue was starting to rot out…”

Sneakerhead Moments

• Travis’s favorite pairs are Marty McFly’s self-tying Nikes:
  [16:13] Travis: "Seriously, it’s like my first purchase when I got a check... Marty McFly’s, Nike, size 13!"

• Travis’s Embarassing Story:
  [18:36] Travis: “Walked into high school with these—Will’s like, ‘Trav, let me see those things’... He looked at them... ‘real fake!’... Never wore them again.”

3. Basketball Skillset Banter

• Jason jokes about his “mission” to dunk, seeking Caitlin’s advice.

  • [02:01] Travis: “I told him he had to lose at least 20 pounds and get the technique down perfectly.”
  • [07:20] Caitlin: “Start with a tennis ball, then a volleyball, then a basketball... Don’t ask me, I could maybe grab the rim, but I just shoot threes.”

• Caitlin offers shooting advice, stressing good form from youth:
  [07:44] Caitlin: “Make sure your form is always good, and then you kind of work your way back…”

4. Team USA Update & Olympic Hopes

• [19:24] Caitlin reflects on battling injuries with Team USA, the challenge of returning after setbacks, and ambitions for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

  • [20:55] Caitlin: “It was a long process just to get back on the court... but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way: you get thrown back out with the best players in the world...”

• Discussion on flag football as an Olympic sport in 2028, speculating on whether NFL players will get involved.

Notable Exchange

• [21:15] Travis: “Hey, you already know I could snap.”
• [21:18] Jason: “If they need a snapper, I will gladly snap the ball and do nothing.”

5. NFL Playoff Picture & Predictions

• [25:20] Playoff picks: Jason likes the Rams (“they have the least questions”), Caitlin’s rooting for Patriots and possibly Sam Darnold/Rams, Travis is diplomatic.

• Eagles and Chiefs playoff chances dissected. Caitlin teases Jason about Eagles viewership.

Quips

• [27:07] Caitlin: “But the viewership’s not going to be the same without the Chiefs.”
• [27:23] Jason: “I think [the Eagles will] do better than people expect...Their defense is so good…”

6. Fantasy Football & Punishments

• Caitlin survived her league:
  [26:18] Caitlin: “Trav got me a lot of points this season, so I didn't get last. That was my only goal.”
• Punishment options: 17-hour bus ride (live-streamed), standup comedy, IHOP pancake challenge, or cash buyout.
  • [28:35] Caitlin: “As long as I don’t have to do the punishment, I’m fine.”

7. NFL “Perry” Fantasy Game

• Betting on which players had best statistical seasons for each team; playful debate about picks (Andre Johnson, Josh Allen, McCaffrey, etc.). Shows knowledge gaps in 2000s RB/WR stats.

8. Gift Giving & Family Fun

• Jason opens Caitlin’s Christmas present, sparking family hijinks and mini-basketball toss with his daughters.
  • [40:11] Caitlin: “She’s got a future, Jason.”
• Christmas recaps: warm Florida for Caitlin, family time for the Kelces, gift highlights.

9. NFL Week 18 Preview & Storylines

• [47:47] Deep dive into Chiefs/broncos Christmas game, Travis playing with 3rd-string QB ("the Chris O Experience"), love for underdog moments.
• Playoff scenarios, seeding, and who’s resting starters.
• Jason and Travis advocate for Eagles sitting major players before postseason:
  • [62:17] Jason: “I am fully on board with do not risk anybody...Take the rest when you can get it.”

10. NFL Locker Room Christmas Gifts Segment

• Lively rundown of QBs’ gifts for their O-lines: from Bottega Veneta bags (Caleb Williams), to Wagyu beef (Josh Allen), to Can-Am dune buggies (Aaron Rodgers), fossils (Joe Burrow), and more.
  • [75:01] Jason: “A—the bones of a decayed animal from millions of years ago—I would love that.”
  • [75:19] Travis: “Joe’s creative with the gifts, he’s a good gift giver.”

11. Stamps of the Week & Listener Q&A

• Stamp of the Week: Cody Ford catching a WR hitch at 345 lbs gets Jason’s vote; Trey McBride’s tight end receptions record gets Travis’s.
• Grandmother cursing with excitement over a signed jersey [80:49]—Kelce nostalgia for rowdy grandmothers.
• Q&A: Best Christmas gifts, bird-watching tangents, and podcast in-jokes.

Quote

• [89:01] Brandon: “Black Phoebe—these little bastards are great... They clean house!”

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [04:34] Caitlin Clark: “It was fun to shoot, and, you know, just really thankful that everybody was a part of it, and especially you guys. So you made it fun.”
• [09:23] Caitlin Clark: “The most challenging part… you want it to be unique, but at the same time, I have to be comfortable wearing it.”
• [11:46] Caitlin Clark: "LeBron's on shoe 23 now, which is crazy to think about how long his signature line has lasted."
• [16:13] Travis Kelce: "It was like my first purchase when I got a check... Marty McFly’s Nike size 13!"
• [18:36] Travis Kelce: "Walked into high school...like, ‘Travel, let me see those things.' ...‘Real fake!’... Never wore them again."
• [19:24] Caitlin Clark: “It was a long process just to get back on the court...you get thrown back out there with the best players in the world.”
• [21:15] Travis Kelce: “Hey, you already know I could snap.”
• [27:23] Jason Kelce: “I think [the Eagles will] do better than people expect. ...Their defense is so good…”
• [28:35] Caitlin Clark: “As long as I don’t have to do the punishment, I’m fine.”
• [40:11] Caitlin Clark: “She’s got a future, Jason.”
• [62:17] Jason Kelce: “I am fully on board with do not risk anybody, anybody you don't want...Take the rest when you can get it.”
• [75:01] Jason Kelce: “A — the bones of a decayed animal from millions of years ago — I would love that.”
• [80:49] Grandma video: “[Excited, foul-mouthed reaction to a signed Travis Kelce jersey.]”
  Jason comments, "Right up my alley."

Timestamps: Segment Guide

• [04:00] Caitlin Clark segment begins
• [09:23] Inside the signature shoe process
• [11:46] Sneaker legacies: LeBron and beyond
• [15:07] Jason’s cobbler saga
• [18:36] Travis’s “fake shoes” high school trauma
• [19:24] Team USA return & Olympic goals
• [25:20] NFL playoff predictions
• [28:35] Fantasy league punishments
• [30:02] NFL "Perry" fantasy game
• [40:11] Family basketball shootout
• [47:47] Chiefs/Broncos recap & Week 18 Preview
• [62:17] Resting starters before the playoffs
• [75:01] Joe Burrow’s fossil gifts
• [80:49] "Foul-mouthed grandma" viral segment
• [83:40] Trey McBride: new tight end record
• [89:01] LA birds and birdwatching detour

Tone & Style

Playful, self-deprecating, and breezy. Full of sibling ribbing, sports and pop-culture references, and honest athlete perspectives. Guest Caitlin Clark matches the Kelce brothers’ rhythm with authenticity, quick wit, and relatable insights.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a masterclass in blending elite athlete perspectives with the joy of fandom and family. Whether you want an inside look at Caitlin Clark’s ascent to signature sneaker status, tactical football musings, or simply some top-shelf podcast banter, Ep. 173 delivers laughs, wisdom, and warmth in equal measure.