Who’s Got Next? 4 NBA Players Who Deserve Their Own Signature Sneaker in 2015
After Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving finally got his own signature shoe last month (check out the video player above to see for yourself), it got us thinking. Since our call for Irving to get his own sneaks clearly paid off, we decided to nominate others in the NBA who deserve their own kicks in 2015. You will recognize all of these names, but some will have you shouting, “WHY WOULD HE EVER GET HIS OWN SHOE, YOU IDIOT!?” We’re just happy you’re reading it.
James Harden
Are we biased because Harden is a cover athlete on the current double issue of STACK magazine.? Sure. But he’s wrecking the league so severely on offense this year that you can’t ignore him. Harden is a very, very legitimate MVP candidate, and much of his offensive ability, as we detail in our story, is due to his ballerina-like footwork. Why not accentuate that with Harden’s very own pair of kicks?
Nike has already laced Harden up with his own custom pair of Nike Run the One, complete with his infamous beard on the insole, so the logical next step is his first signature sneaker. Prospectively called “The Beard” by the great minds at STACK, Harden’s shoe could be designed with aspects of his immaculate facial hair in mind. They would sell like hotcakes in Houston and elsewhere. You can thanks us later.
RELATED: James Harden’s Journey From Sixth Man to Franchise Player
Nick Young
Look, based on stats alone, Nick Young should definitely not get a signature shoe. He’s not a starter, he takes almost half his shots from 3-point land and he’s as streaky as Will Ferrell in Old School. But if you were to ask even casual NBA fans to name one player on the Los Angeles Lakers who isn’t Kobe Bryant, Young’s name will come tumbling out of their mouths.
Young is a goofball, a dude who genuinely enjoys playing basketball. He’s probably the only guy left making fans check the game stories to read his quotes. He also owns, and rocks, the best collection of shoes of any player on the NBA hardwood. His sneaker game is so prolific that Kobe Bryant let him debut the Nike Kobe 9 on court when he was injured, which is sort of like Barack Obama letting Joe Biden give the State of the Union address. From Air Jordans new, old and never-seen to busting out the first sneaker LeBron ever wore during All-Star Game festivities as a rookie, Young’s shoe game alone should be enough to verify that he deserves his own kicks. There’s already a great name for ’em, the Swaggy P 1s, after his amazing nickname. Case closed. Nike, Hop to it.
DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis
As the traditional big man in the NBA goes the way of the dinosaur, so does the big man sneaker. There once was a time when guys like Charles Barkley and Tim Duncan were rocking sneakers that actually mattered, and kids were buying them in bunches. Sadly, the landscape is barren now. Dwight Howard has his own sneaker, but my telling you that is probably the first you’re hearing of it.
What better way to bring back the big man’s sneaker than by giving two of the NBA’s youngest and best their own signature pairs. DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis embody the new breed of big man in the NBA. They can step out and hit a jumper. They can play with their back to the basket. They are as quick as most two guards, and they provide rim protection when the initial defense breaks down. They are the core of their teams, two superstars attempting to guide downtrodden franchises back to relevance.
They both deserve their own shoe, and they each have awesome nicknames for Nike, adidas or whomever to work with. The Brow 1 and The Boogie 1? I mean, does it get any better than that? It doesn’t, you guys. It really, really doesn’t.
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Who’s Got Next? 4 NBA Players Who Deserve Their Own Signature Sneaker in 2015
After Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving finally got his own signature shoe last month (check out the video player above to see for yourself), it got us thinking. Since our call for Irving to get his own sneaks clearly paid off, we decided to nominate others in the NBA who deserve their own kicks in 2015. You will recognize all of these names, but some will have you shouting, “WHY WOULD HE EVER GET HIS OWN SHOE, YOU IDIOT!?” We’re just happy you’re reading it.
James Harden
Are we biased because Harden is a cover athlete on the current double issue of STACK magazine.? Sure. But he’s wrecking the league so severely on offense this year that you can’t ignore him. Harden is a very, very legitimate MVP candidate, and much of his offensive ability, as we detail in our story, is due to his ballerina-like footwork. Why not accentuate that with Harden’s very own pair of kicks?
Nike has already laced Harden up with his own custom pair of Nike Run the One, complete with his infamous beard on the insole, so the logical next step is his first signature sneaker. Prospectively called “The Beard” by the great minds at STACK, Harden’s shoe could be designed with aspects of his immaculate facial hair in mind. They would sell like hotcakes in Houston and elsewhere. You can thanks us later.
RELATED: James Harden’s Journey From Sixth Man to Franchise Player
Nick Young
Look, based on stats alone, Nick Young should definitely not get a signature shoe. He’s not a starter, he takes almost half his shots from 3-point land and he’s as streaky as Will Ferrell in Old School. But if you were to ask even casual NBA fans to name one player on the Los Angeles Lakers who isn’t Kobe Bryant, Young’s name will come tumbling out of their mouths.
Young is a goofball, a dude who genuinely enjoys playing basketball. He’s probably the only guy left making fans check the game stories to read his quotes. He also owns, and rocks, the best collection of shoes of any player on the NBA hardwood. His sneaker game is so prolific that Kobe Bryant let him debut the Nike Kobe 9 on court when he was injured, which is sort of like Barack Obama letting Joe Biden give the State of the Union address. From Air Jordans new, old and never-seen to busting out the first sneaker LeBron ever wore during All-Star Game festivities as a rookie, Young’s shoe game alone should be enough to verify that he deserves his own kicks. There’s already a great name for ’em, the Swaggy P 1s, after his amazing nickname. Case closed. Nike, Hop to it.
DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis
As the traditional big man in the NBA goes the way of the dinosaur, so does the big man sneaker. There once was a time when guys like Charles Barkley and Tim Duncan were rocking sneakers that actually mattered, and kids were buying them in bunches. Sadly, the landscape is barren now. Dwight Howard has his own sneaker, but my telling you that is probably the first you’re hearing of it.
What better way to bring back the big man’s sneaker than by giving two of the NBA’s youngest and best their own signature pairs. DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis embody the new breed of big man in the NBA. They can step out and hit a jumper. They can play with their back to the basket. They are as quick as most two guards, and they provide rim protection when the initial defense breaks down. They are the core of their teams, two superstars attempting to guide downtrodden franchises back to relevance.
They both deserve their own shoe, and they each have awesome nicknames for Nike, adidas or whomever to work with. The Brow 1 and The Boogie 1? I mean, does it get any better than that? It doesn’t, you guys. It really, really doesn’t.