Image via Complex Original
While the MVP race, playoff picture, and the Donald Sterling fiasco dominated talk amongst sports analysts and radio hosts during the last month of the season, sneakerheads were on a whole 'nother wavelength. Instead of tracking stats and headlines since October, kick enthusiasts were tracking who was wearing what and what players were moving and shaking in the sneaker culture. From debuts of signature kicks, to players changing brand allegiance, this season was full of big storylines revolving around sneakers. Here's a look back at The Biggest Sneaker Headlines of the 2013-14 NBA Season.
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Stephen Curry signs with Under Armour.
When: October 1, 2013
Right before the 2013-14 NBA season kicked off, Under Armour made a huge power play by inking Warriors point guard Stephen Curry to become the face of the basketball branch of the brand. Playing in Nikes during his first four years in the league, Curry's jump to Under Armour marked a breakthrough for the brand who had previously been lacking a true star spokesperson.
Curry is one of the game's premier scorers and may help set a trend for big-time players to leave Nike for a smaller brand. With many players entering sneaker free agency this summer, Curry may play the role of recruiter for Under Armour in helping them lure marquee ballers to the brand.
Kobe Bryant only gets to debut his latest signature sneaker in practice.
When: December 4, 2013
It's been a rough two seasons for the Black Mamba. Beginning to show his age, Kobe has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons and to add insult to injury, the future Hall of Famer wasn't even able to ball in a pro game in his own signature sneaker this season. He did however get to give them a run in practice.
While the Kobe 9 was a popular pick amongst players around the league this season, the sneaker just didn't have the same effect without the Mamba rocking what is rightfully his.
LeBron James wears the Nike Zoom Soldier more than his flagship sneaker.
When: December 6, 2013
LeBron James turned heads in the sneaker community when he was spotted on court wearing other signature looks besides the newly released LeBron XI. At first it was thought to just be an oddity. But through December, LeBron had only worn his newest sneaker for two complete games and rumors of a comfort issue were everywhere. "I could wear them, but they don't feel as great as I want them to feel," James said in an interview with ESPN.com. "So we're redefining them, and I feel like this next round is going to be perfect."
As one it's biggest endorsers, it seemed like Nike had a huge problem on its hands when LeBron stopped wearing the sneaker. But despite the issues, the XIs have sold quite well—outselling the Xs up to this point—and have been quite popular around the league having been seen on the feet of NBA players all season.
It seems as if the comfort problems haven't been totally figured out, though, as LeBron has still been wearing the Zoom Soldier VIIs during the Heat's playoff run in addition to the LeBron XI Elite.
Kobe Bryant returns to the court in the Kobe 1 "Prelude."
When: December 9, 2013
When Kobe Bryant made his return to the court on December 8, 2013 against the Raptors after an achilles injury, he didn't do so wearing the Kobe 9 but rather the Kobe 1 "Prelude." Coincidentally (or, most likely planned) the Kobe 1s were the same sneakers Bean wore seven years prior when dropped a career-high 81 against the Raptors. The game didn't have the same result, as the Lakers fell to the Raptors, and Kobe's return was short lived as he suffered another season-ending injury. But the Preludes were easily one of the top releases of the year, and it was awesome to see the rightful player debut them on the court.
Andre Drummond honors Sandy Hook victims with his sneakers.
When: December 15, 2013
At just 20 years old, Andre Drummond is on the fast track to becoming an elite big man. Along with improved play on the court, Dre flashed an impressive array of Jordans and rocked enough heat on-court to earn himself a spot on Complex's 2013-2014 All-NBA Sneaker Team.
Drummond also had one of the more touching sneaker moments of the season when he wore a pair of Jordan Xs with the names of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims written on them for the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. Drummond, who played prep ball in Connecticut, also donated his jersey to the school following the game. A classy move from one of the NBA's brightest young stars.
LeBron James leaves skid marks on the court.
When: January 2, 2014
LeBron James does things on the court that literally no one else on the face of the planet can do. He is so big, so fast, and so talented that even the spectacular plays look routine when he's doing them. During a January game against the Warriors, LeBron was moving so fast that he literally burned rubber onto the court. The marks left by 'Bron's size 16 signature kicks looked more like the marks left by a car after skidding out.
Jeremy Lin leaves Nike for adidas.
When: January 6, 2014
When Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin was the talk of the sporting world thanks to his incredible run with the Knicks, Nike was quick to scoop him up and sign him to a deal. But once Lin left New York and his popularity began to decline, Nike began to ease on its marketing campaign for the young player. Sensing the depreciating attention, Lin left Nike for adidas back in January, which was a great move for all parties.
Adidas has been investing quite heavily into its Asian markets and the move for Lin may represent the brands desire to grow in the South Pacific. The Rockets have a huge international presence in Asia thanks to former player Yao Ming, and Lin can be next in line to be adidas' main focus in Asia.
Ray Allen channels Jesus Shuttlesworth with Jordan XIIIs.
When: January 10, 2014
This past January, the Heat and Nets wore jerseys that featured nicknames on the back instead of their normal last name. Paul Pierce wore "Truth," LeBron James wore "King James," Chris Bosh wore "CB," and so on and so forth. But the far and away best nickname uniform was Ray Allen's "J. Shuttlesworth" look.
For the unfamiliar, Jesus Shuttlesworth was the character played by Ray Allen in Spike Lee's He Got Game. Allen payed even more homage to the film when he laced up a pair of Air Jordan "He Got Game" XIIIs for the game. The XIIIs were what Denzel Washington, who played Allen's father in the film, copped when he was released from prison. The move to rock XIIIs was brilliant on Allen's part and carried on the legacy of He Got Game.
Amir Johnson becomes the only NBA player to wear OVO Air Jordans on court.
When: January 11, 2014
When Drizzy signed to Jordan brand in December, the megastar began to tease OVO x Jordan collaborations via his Instagram, but no one knew if the sneakers would ever see the court. Well, in January, Toronto Raptors center Amir Johnson broke out a pair of black stingray "OVO" Air Jordan XIIs. Between Johnson, DeMar DeRozan, and Terrence Ross, the Raptors have three of the savviest sneakerheads in the game, perfect candidates to breakout exclusive pairs, and all three ended up on Complex's 2013-14 All-NBA Sneaker Team. With Drake onboard as the "Global Ambassador" of the Raptors franchise, the team quickly became the most fashionable team in the league with fan nights that included "OVO" inspired giveaways.
Matt Bonner leaves New Balance for adidas.
When: January 22, 2014
Matt Bonner had become somewhat of a cult legend amongst sneakerheads due to the fact that he was the lone player in the NBA to wear New Balance kicks while playing ball. Bonner left us all in shock when he revealed that he was signing with adidas and giving up his New Balance sneakers forever. The move marked the end of an era and it may be the last time we ever see New Balance sneakers on an NBA player's feet. He also won't have to deal with this happening again—we hope.
Nick Young debuts the Nike Kobe 9.
When: January 23, 2014
With Kobe Bryant down and out with another season-ending injury, it was Swaggy P of all people who stepped up and debuted the much anticipated Kobe 9 on-court. It's unknown whether Kobe gave Young permission to wear the sneaker first or if Swaggy decided to just go ahead and do it, but we can only imagine what the interaction was like.
While Young may never reach the playing level of Kobe, him debuting the sneaker was actually a great move considering he is a star amongst the sneakerhead community. The Kobe 9s caught fire around the league and Young will one day be able to tell his grandkids that it was him—not Kobe—who debuted the sneaker.
Manu Ginobili's Air Max Closer IV explodes.
When: February 27, 2014
Along with championships and accolades, Ginobili also has a curious history of strange occurrences on court. Back in ‘09, Manu flashed his amazing hand-eye coordination by absolutely destroying a bat that had swooped down to court level of the AT&T Center in San Antonio. On the sneaker front, Ginobili’s ‘09 Nike Air Max Closer IV literally exploded during a February contest. Ginobili, who has one of the most aggressive Eurosteps the NBA has ever seen, is tough on his sneakers due to his game but man, it's tough to do that to a sneaker no matter how aggressive you are. Since the mishap, Ginobili has worn LeBron XIs—no surprise considering he wore the LeBron Xs for much of last season.
Tony Wroten loses the sole of his Air Jordan X.
When: March 14, 2014
You know you’re having a tough season when even your footwear bottoms out. Sixer guard Tony Wroten, who actually has been one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia this season, has one of the meanest sneaker collections in the NBA. During a game against the Pacers, Wroten donned a deadstock pair of red and white Jordan Xs that were nearly ten years old. While making a move to the hoop, the sole of Wroten’s right sneaker completely separated from the shoe and the young guard was out a pair of deadstock Jordans. Considering the fact that Wroten is an explosive player, it’s no surprise that a damn-near decade-old shoe would fall apart in the middle of a game.
The incident landed Wroten in national headlines when it was reported that Michael Jordan himself reached out to the young baller to apologize for the sneaker mishap. Later, Wroten revealed that he was misquoted and Jordan did NOT reach out to him to apologize. Regardless, we hope that Jordan at least helped out Wroten and shipped him a new pair of Xs.
Nick Young wears Supreme Foamposites. Kendall Marshall responds.
When: April 3, 2014
The 2013-2014 Complex Sneaker MVP, Nick Young, stunted harder than any other player in the NBA this season when it came to footwear. When he rocked the highly-demanded Supreme Foamposites, he sealed the deal as the top sneakerhead in the league.
Not to be outdone, Swaggy P's teammate, point guard Kendall Marshall, took to Instagram to show off a Foampostie collection that is nothing to sneeze at. Flashing rare pairs such as "Oregons," unreleaed "Suns" Pro, and "Paranormans," Marshall showed Swaggy that he best not get caught slipping.
Damian Lillard gets a new adidas contract.
When: April 14, 2014
Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard has catapulted himself into the upper-echelon of NBA stars in just his second year in the league. Lillard, who signed a deal with adidas prior to his rookie season, was having so much success that he exteneded his contract for an estimated $100 million over 10 years.
With the amount of setbacks adidas has had due to players getting injuries, the brand really had no choice but to offer Lillard a massive contract. It's being reported that the deal is the third-largest in the NBA behind Derrick Rose and LeBron James. If Lillard keeps making plays like his incredible game-winning buzzer beater against the Rockets, it's money well spent for adidas.
Russell Westbrook debuts the Air Jordan XX9 on court.
When: April 14, 2014
Jordan brought out the big guns for the release of the XX9 when the GOAT himself made an appearance to unveil the sneaker. On court, rising superstar and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook debuted the sneakers during the Thunder's opening round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Known for his eccentric fashion sense, Westbrook was the perfect player to take the lead on endorsing the sneakers. He was even featured in the Tailored for Flight teaser video. During the second round of the playoffs, Russ debuted an alternate version of the XX9, featuring an enlarged Jumpman logo on the side.