tlongII
10-29-2014, 12:30 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/index.ssf/2014/10/trail_blazers_starting_five_ha.html#incart_big-photo
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/28/-632df1028036eba5.jpg
Crazy Light size 12.5 worn by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0).
Perhaps no NBA team has its players' shoe selections more closely scrutinized than the Portland Trail Blazers. Point guard Damian Lillard knows why: "It's home of Adidas and the home of Nike." And that means there are a whole lot of people in town paying attention to what is on the players' feet.
So with the season opener looming Wednesday night, we decided to take stock of what each player is pulling on over his socks, too.
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201887-small.jpg
LaMarcus Aldridge leaned back on a Northwest Portland couch earlier this summer, having finished an endorsement photo shoot for coconut water.
His Nike sneaker deal would expire soon. Any chance he would leave Nike for another shoe manufacturer?
Aldridge, the All-Star power forward demurred a bit, but then said no. Nike, especially its Jordan Brand shoes, had been a part of his life for too long.
At that time, though, even Aldridge did not know his agent would work out a deal to not only stay with Nike but to be brought into the small club of Jordan Brand athletes.
"It's an honor," Aldridge said on Sunday, "to represent the best player of all time on the court – that's an honor. I've always been a fan of his shoes, I've always loved to wear his shoes off the court and I'm looking forward to wearing them on the court.
"It's where I belong. I'm happy to be there."
Aldridge added that negotiations were helped by the presence of Jordan Brand president Larry Miller, who served as Blazers team president throughout much of Aldridge's career with the team.
"Of course," Aldridge said. "He and I... developed our relationship when he was here. But that wasn't the reason they signed me. They brought me to Mike's attention. It was Mike that wanted me on."
Aldridge will solve a mystery Wednesday night. As of Sunday, he said he hadn't decided which of the Jordan Brand array of shoes he would select for the opening game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (But based on the shoe shown to Oregonian photographer Bruce Ely on Monday, he may have a pretty good idea.)
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201890-small.jpg
If Adidas is going to make a dent in Nike's dominance in U.S. basketball sneaker sales, Damian Lillard will likely have something to do with it.
Of all Adidas' elite basketball players, none might feel more passion for the three stripes than Lillard.
"I've been wearing them since middle school," in Oakland, as well as at Weber State and now with the Blazers.
Adidas, the German brand that has its North American headquarters in Portland, rewarded that loyalty in two ways this year. It signed the All-Star point guard to an incentive-laden contract reportedly for 10 years and a minimum of $5 million annually. And earlier this month, Lillard himself announced that the brand would introduce a Damian Lillard signature shoe in January.
And, Lillard said, despite reports to the contrary during negotiations, there was never really a chance he'd leave Adidas.
Lillard was coy about revealing the expected retail price for his shoe, but he said it would be below $150, whereas the typical starting point for an NBA basketball player's signature shoe is $200.
"I want all kids to be able to have access to the shoe," he said. "Those are the people I grew up with."
Lillard recognizes that he could play a significant role at a critical point for Adidas, which has lost ground this year to Nike globally and even to Under Armour in the United States.
"I'm trying to be part of something special with Adidas and be a part of helping to build their brand."
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201896-small.jpg
Robin Lopez may not have a signature shoe deal, but his sneakers are usually one-of-a-kind.
The Blazers center has been known to personally decorate his size-20 sneakers, typically with an ink marker. His unusual practice gained media attention during last year's NBA playoffs.
But Lopez, who also creates pen-and-ink works on less challenging media like paper, says decorating shoes started during his college days at Stanford.
The Blazers' pinwheel logo figured into a number of Lopez' playoffs designs last year. But he said he's never sure where his artistic inspiration will come from when he starts.
"I don't know," Lopez said. "Whatever I'm feeling at the moment. I don't draw from anything in particular."
NBA colleagues have noticed his handiwork and acknowledged it on the court, he said. Quincy Pondexter of the Memphis Grizzlies, a former teammate, even requested and received a personalized pair.
Closer to home, "Dame's has asked me a couple times," Lopez said of Blazer teammate Damian Lillard.
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201897-small.jpg
For many collegiate and professional basketball players in the United States, their sneaker brand preference begins early in life.
It was no different for Blazers' forward Nicolas Batum, who was born in Lisieux, France.
"I wore Adidas even before I got drafted," said Batum, who is entering his seventh season in the NBA, all with the Blazers, after starting his professional career in France.
"I wore Crazy Lights and I can't wear anything else right now," said Batum, who quickly noted that was not quite true because during the interview he was wearing a version of the Adidas Crazy 1 Kobe shoes.
When Batum started playing basketball as a youngster in France, Adidas was the clear leader in sales in Europe. Recently, however, Nike has caught up with its German rival and is the top-selling brand for all types of footwear and apparel in the continent's major cities.
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201899-small.jpg
Loyalty means a lot to Wesley Matthews when it comes to shoes.
"I wasn't drafted, so shoe brands weren't really fighting and bidding over me," Matthews said. "I got a (rookie year) shoe deal through my agency."
That deal was with Nike. Like many NBA players, Matthews' first shoe deal meant just that – he got free shoes, but nothing more.
"I developed a relationship with those guys early on," Matthews said. "I had a breakout rookie season and they were a little bit more interested in me. I went with loyalty – who showed me loyalty first. And it's been great ever since."
Nowadays, Matthews' arrangement with Nike includes money as well as shoes.
"I got a pretty decent deal," he said, declining to divulge details.
The Blazers equipment managers know that Matthews may tear through a pair of shoes every few games.
"I go through shoes," he said. "I play hard, I cut hard. The torque, the way my body moves, my speed, it's a lot. They (the shoes) hold up for me. They take a beating."
And the rest of the crew
Dorrell Wright
Forward
Li Ning team shoe, size 14.5
C.J. McCollum
Guard
Nike Hyperfuse size, 12.5
Will Barton
Guard
Under Armour Anatomix Spawn, size 15
Meyers Leonard
Center
Nike Zoom Soldier, size 16
Victor Claver
Forward
Nike Hyper Dunk 2014, size 15
Joel Freeland
Forward
Nike Zoom Soldier, size 16
Allen Crabbe
Guard
Nike HyperQuickness, size 13
Steve Blake
Guard
Nike Zoom Run The One, size 13
Chris Kaman
Center
Nike Hyperfuse, size 17
Thomas Robinson
Forward
Nike Zoom Soldier, size 16
http://imgick.oregonlive.com/home/olive-media/pgmain/img/oregonian/photo/2014/10/28/-632df1028036eba5.jpg
Crazy Light size 12.5 worn by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0).
Perhaps no NBA team has its players' shoe selections more closely scrutinized than the Portland Trail Blazers. Point guard Damian Lillard knows why: "It's home of Adidas and the home of Nike." And that means there are a whole lot of people in town paying attention to what is on the players' feet.
So with the season opener looming Wednesday night, we decided to take stock of what each player is pulling on over his socks, too.
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201887-small.jpg
LaMarcus Aldridge leaned back on a Northwest Portland couch earlier this summer, having finished an endorsement photo shoot for coconut water.
His Nike sneaker deal would expire soon. Any chance he would leave Nike for another shoe manufacturer?
Aldridge, the All-Star power forward demurred a bit, but then said no. Nike, especially its Jordan Brand shoes, had been a part of his life for too long.
At that time, though, even Aldridge did not know his agent would work out a deal to not only stay with Nike but to be brought into the small club of Jordan Brand athletes.
"It's an honor," Aldridge said on Sunday, "to represent the best player of all time on the court – that's an honor. I've always been a fan of his shoes, I've always loved to wear his shoes off the court and I'm looking forward to wearing them on the court.
"It's where I belong. I'm happy to be there."
Aldridge added that negotiations were helped by the presence of Jordan Brand president Larry Miller, who served as Blazers team president throughout much of Aldridge's career with the team.
"Of course," Aldridge said. "He and I... developed our relationship when he was here. But that wasn't the reason they signed me. They brought me to Mike's attention. It was Mike that wanted me on."
Aldridge will solve a mystery Wednesday night. As of Sunday, he said he hadn't decided which of the Jordan Brand array of shoes he would select for the opening game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (But based on the shoe shown to Oregonian photographer Bruce Ely on Monday, he may have a pretty good idea.)
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201890-small.jpg
If Adidas is going to make a dent in Nike's dominance in U.S. basketball sneaker sales, Damian Lillard will likely have something to do with it.
Of all Adidas' elite basketball players, none might feel more passion for the three stripes than Lillard.
"I've been wearing them since middle school," in Oakland, as well as at Weber State and now with the Blazers.
Adidas, the German brand that has its North American headquarters in Portland, rewarded that loyalty in two ways this year. It signed the All-Star point guard to an incentive-laden contract reportedly for 10 years and a minimum of $5 million annually. And earlier this month, Lillard himself announced that the brand would introduce a Damian Lillard signature shoe in January.
And, Lillard said, despite reports to the contrary during negotiations, there was never really a chance he'd leave Adidas.
Lillard was coy about revealing the expected retail price for his shoe, but he said it would be below $150, whereas the typical starting point for an NBA basketball player's signature shoe is $200.
"I want all kids to be able to have access to the shoe," he said. "Those are the people I grew up with."
Lillard recognizes that he could play a significant role at a critical point for Adidas, which has lost ground this year to Nike globally and even to Under Armour in the United States.
"I'm trying to be part of something special with Adidas and be a part of helping to build their brand."
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201896-small.jpg
Robin Lopez may not have a signature shoe deal, but his sneakers are usually one-of-a-kind.
The Blazers center has been known to personally decorate his size-20 sneakers, typically with an ink marker. His unusual practice gained media attention during last year's NBA playoffs.
But Lopez, who also creates pen-and-ink works on less challenging media like paper, says decorating shoes started during his college days at Stanford.
The Blazers' pinwheel logo figured into a number of Lopez' playoffs designs last year. But he said he's never sure where his artistic inspiration will come from when he starts.
"I don't know," Lopez said. "Whatever I'm feeling at the moment. I don't draw from anything in particular."
NBA colleagues have noticed his handiwork and acknowledged it on the court, he said. Quincy Pondexter of the Memphis Grizzlies, a former teammate, even requested and received a personalized pair.
Closer to home, "Dame's has asked me a couple times," Lopez said of Blazer teammate Damian Lillard.
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201897-small.jpg
For many collegiate and professional basketball players in the United States, their sneaker brand preference begins early in life.
It was no different for Blazers' forward Nicolas Batum, who was born in Lisieux, France.
"I wore Adidas even before I got drafted," said Batum, who is entering his seventh season in the NBA, all with the Blazers, after starting his professional career in France.
"I wore Crazy Lights and I can't wear anything else right now," said Batum, who quickly noted that was not quite true because during the interview he was wearing a version of the Adidas Crazy 1 Kobe shoes.
When Batum started playing basketball as a youngster in France, Adidas was the clear leader in sales in Europe. Recently, however, Nike has caught up with its German rival and is the top-selling brand for all types of footwear and apparel in the continent's major cities.
http://media.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/photo/16201899-small.jpg
Loyalty means a lot to Wesley Matthews when it comes to shoes.
"I wasn't drafted, so shoe brands weren't really fighting and bidding over me," Matthews said. "I got a (rookie year) shoe deal through my agency."
That deal was with Nike. Like many NBA players, Matthews' first shoe deal meant just that – he got free shoes, but nothing more.
"I developed a relationship with those guys early on," Matthews said. "I had a breakout rookie season and they were a little bit more interested in me. I went with loyalty – who showed me loyalty first. And it's been great ever since."
Nowadays, Matthews' arrangement with Nike includes money as well as shoes.
"I got a pretty decent deal," he said, declining to divulge details.
The Blazers equipment managers know that Matthews may tear through a pair of shoes every few games.
"I go through shoes," he said. "I play hard, I cut hard. The torque, the way my body moves, my speed, it's a lot. They (the shoes) hold up for me. They take a beating."
And the rest of the crew
Dorrell Wright
Forward
Li Ning team shoe, size 14.5
C.J. McCollum
Guard
Nike Hyperfuse size, 12.5
Will Barton
Guard
Under Armour Anatomix Spawn, size 15
Meyers Leonard
Center
Nike Zoom Soldier, size 16
Victor Claver
Forward
Nike Hyper Dunk 2014, size 15
Joel Freeland
Forward
Nike Zoom Soldier, size 16
Allen Crabbe
Guard
Nike HyperQuickness, size 13
Steve Blake
Guard
Nike Zoom Run The One, size 13
Chris Kaman
Center
Nike Hyperfuse, size 17
Thomas Robinson
Forward
Nike Zoom Soldier, size 16