We are exactly one week away from Opening Day of the new NBA season. Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday we spotted Nate Robinson wearing Yeezy 2s on court, saw Nick Young playing against Kobe in Kobe 1s, and crowned Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams the 2013 Kicks On Court Champion.<\/p>\n
With the awareness of what players wear on court at an all-time high (and it’s only going to grow from here), we trekked away from the sneaker industry for a moment and formed a panel of experts in the NBA multimedia world – from ESPN, NBA.com, SLAM and other publications – to get their takes on last season and what to expect this season. Check them out debating the top questions surrounding Kicks On Court<\/a> and share entertaining locker room stories in the panel discussion below.<\/p>\n Following the discussion, visit the last page to get familiar with the experts and their love for sneakers through each person’s bio.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/strong>: Kicks On Court Diaries: Matt Bonner’s Plea for a New Shoe Deal<\/p>\n Sean Sweeney (@SEANesweeney<\/a>), Dime Magazine<\/strong>: I’d say the response from the players. I thought Snkrs Day did a great job covering it and with the rise of customs and social media — particularly Instagram — it has created a brand new way to watch the games. Literally, on basically every team now, there are a few guys who take chances and wear something unique almost every night. You didn’t see as much of that even so short as five years ago.<\/p>\n Dave McMenamin (@mcten<\/a>), ESPN LA<\/strong>: That there aren\u2019t a ton of different sneakers that the majority of the league wears \u2013 you see a lot of Kobes, a lot of LeBrons, a lot of Jordans, etc. But the cool thing about it is the myriad of colorways that you\u2019ll see those select models in. Also, when a player wears something that the rest of the league generally isn\u2019t, it stands out even more.<\/p>\n Holly MacKenzie (@stackmack<\/a>), Sports Net<\/strong>:\u00a0There are guys who wear shoes to be noticed and guys who wear shoes because they love them and end up being noticed as a result.<\/p>\n Tzvi Twersky (@TTwersky<\/a>), SLAM Magazine<\/strong>: A couple of seasons ago, the NBA loosened the rules regarding what colorways players could wear on the court. Last season players started taking full advantage of their new freedom. And how did they do so? In two major ways: Wearing a multitude of throwbacks, and a variety of simple \u2013 and edgy-colorways. Seeing the adidas Real Deals on court, seeing the Nike Yeezy IIs, seeing Mache Customs on court is something that we should get used to. Players care about what they wear more than ever, and have more freedom than ever.<\/p>\n Trey Kerby (@treykerby<\/a>), The Starters on NBA.com<\/strong>: As a grown up who just moved, I can’t stop being envious of the closets these guys have. Yeah, the collections in them are amazing in their own right, but I’m crazy jealous about the custom storage options they have at their disposal.<\/p>\n George Kiel (@geokthree<\/a>), Snkrs Day<\/strong>: The fact that players actually wore shoes inspired by their personal backgrounds, opposing matchups and things of that nature was a big takeaway from last season for me. Nick Young wearing Kobe Is against Kobe, Nate Robinson donning Concord Jordan 11s with the Bulls pinstripe uniforms (a la MJ during the 1995-96 NBA season), and Derrick Williams wearing “Oregon” Air Jordan 4s because he once played in the Pac 12 showed that the players are actually putting thought into what they wear. Also, the rate at which players switched shoes at halftime was alarming. We’ve seen it in past seasons, but it undoubtedly became the norm last season.<\/p>\n Ming Wong (@HOOPmag<\/a>), HOOP Mag on NBA.com<\/strong>:\u00a0As Nate Robinson showed with Yeezy 2s, dudes are not afraid to go outside the basketball performance category. You might see guys take it another level. Even then, they’ll probably fall short of Gilbert Arenas’ D&G strap-on joints he wore some years back when he was a sneaker free agent. Speaking of, I hope to see another high-profile player as a free agent. The freedom to wear anything and everything on court would be amazing from a sneaker perspective.<\/p>\n Lang Whitaker (@langwhitaker<\/a>), NBA.com\/NBA TV<\/strong>:\u00a0That Russell Westbrook didn’t go as crazy with his Jordans as I thought he might. I still love tuning in (or going into locker rooms) to see what shoes guys are going to wear on specific nights.<\/p>\n Andrew Ungvari (@DrewUnga<\/a>), Lakers Nation<\/strong>: Even if it was just for a few games, it was fun to see Rasheed Wallace back in the league with those blue suede Air Force 1 PEs with the silhouette on them. And who can forget Stephen Jackson\u2019s Cement Spizike Jordan iDs? Those were not only cold but they made those ugly Spurs alternates with just the big spur on them actually look good. Considering that I\u2019m quickly approaching that age where there\u2019s only a handful of guys still in the league who are older than me, it was cool to see those two guys repping for those of us in our late 30s and showing youngsters how much better the shoes that we had growing up were.<\/p>\n Christopher Cason (@C4DUNK<\/a>), Examiner.com<\/strong>:\u00a0The biggest takeaway is what some of these guys have in their closets and how conscious players are now of what they wear. I remember Nick Young wearing the Chamber of Fear Air Zoom LeBron II last season and thinking, \u201cHe knows what he\u2019s doing.\u201d Having had the chance to cover Nate Robinson last season, I had a non-stop sneaker dialogue and one of the things I was disappointed in was the fact that he had a lot of heat he didn\u2019t rock because he was sticking with Jordan as a tribute to his favorite player growing up and he loved being a Bull. The only non-Jordan shoe he wore was the Yeezy 2 and that was only for a few runs because the grip wasn\u2019t the best on them on San Antonio\u2019s court.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweeney<\/strong>: This one’s easy: Nate Robinson. He is a beast on social media and Kicks On Court, constantly trying to outdo the competition. And while the Raptors’ entire team gets the added benefit of their colors being very Jordan-friendly, Robinson is now in Denver. When Carmelo Anthony played there, he rocked some of the nicest Jordan PEs I’ve ever seen. Nate’s sneaker game will probably be even better — the colors are just too sick.<\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: Russell Westbrook. Not only will Westbrook be looking to make a splash as any superstar would to announce his comeback from a major injury, but Westbrook is a guy who uses postgame press conferences as his personal runway shows and spent part of his summer at Fashion Week in New York. It\u2019s inevitable that his fashionista ways will bleed onto his on-court footwear. Plus, he\u2019s with the Jordan Brand. I\u2019m talking retros. I\u2019m talking one-off colorways. I\u2019m talking something that\u2019s really cool that maybe I don\u2019t even know about.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0Derrick Williams, of course. And half of the Toronto Raptors roster because they’ve developed a bit of a shoe competition where each guy is trying to one up the other. They’ve also fallen hard into a Jordan rabbit hole and have been pulling out some gems.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>: When you sign with a brand, especially when you sign and become one of the [non-signature athletes] of the brand, you have little say as to what you can break out to wear on the court. That\u2019s why it\u2019s a blessing that Nate Robinson and Monta Ellis aren\u2019t actually signed to JB. The fact that they don\u2019t get paid to play in Jordans means that they can wear whatever model they want. With Robinson on the Nuggets and Ellis on the Mavs, look for some daily heat on their feet. Another obvious candidate, Nick Young, is sure to don some interesting purples and golds now that he\u2019s on the Lakers. On a quieter, somewhat more subtle note, keep an eye on Paul George, Nerlens Noel (depending on when he makes it back from surgery on his ACL), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Shane Larkin and DeMar DeRozan.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>: I’ll be checking for both Nate Robinson and Nick Young. Nate had a perfect scenario last year, being able to wear all of his fancy Jordans for Michael Jordan’s old team, but I think the Nuggets’ powder blue and gold will really be a nice scheme for him to mess around with. I feel the same about Nick Young, who is sure to wear some Kobes that even Kobe doesn’t remember.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: Ray Allen. I have a vivid memory of him wearing a special white, green and gold Air Jordan 11 player exclusive in Boston’s season opener following their 2008 Championship. Since Ray is coming off of his second championship – in which he played a big part in with the shot from the corner – it’s not far-fetched to expect Mr. Shuttlesworth wearing a white, red and gold player exclusive of the same shoe in Miami’s season opener against Chicago. Jordan Brand does above and beyond for Ray Allen. I’m calling it now.<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0Matt Bonner. I keeeed.\u00a0<\/b>Probably Nate. Even when he was our video game editor for HOOP, Nate was never afraid to express himself in any way to entertain his fans and give them what they want. He also understands the importance of marketing himself, whether it’s through social media, his S.O.N. video series or through sneakers.<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0Kevin Durant. I’m admittedly biased regarding the KD VI, but the shoe came out over the summer so he hasn’t really worn them in games until this season. And I like the color-blocking of the shoe — it feels like Nike could do some really neat stuff with it.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: Derrick Rose. Not only do I miss watching him play, not only am I sick of people making jokes about him and questioning his toughness, but I love the Black\/Light Scarlet Englewood Low D Rose 4s. I\u2019m also a fan of the \u201cD Rose\u201d Superstars, and I can\u2019t wait to check them out up close.<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>:\u00a0I would have to go Nate Robinson because of some of the things he chose not to wear last season. The Jordan tribute was nice, but this is a guy whose favorite shoe is the Nike Air Max CB34 and I know he could have done some other tributes to foes of Jordan. But having Tom Thibodeau as a coach tends to keep you focused on other aspects on the floor. He also has several NIKEiDs just waiting to see the light of day. I\u2019m also looking forward to DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay as they seemed like they were competing \u00a0with one another last year. Last but not least, I want to see what Nike and Jordan have cooked up for LeBron James and Ray Allen with the ring ceremony being on opening night.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweeney<\/strong>: Man, I seriously have no idea. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Derrick Williams is the one doing it. I remember when he broke out a few old school LeBrons last year. I know he’s a fanatic about wearing iconic shoes of the past. I’d be all for seeing some older LeBrons that got left in the dust.<\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: The odds of this happening aren\u2019t too high because Derek Fisher is an adidas guy now, but wouldn\u2019t it be a fun surprise if at some point in his 18th and self-declared final NBA season that Fish broke out the Nike Air Max Uptempo 95s again? Fisher wore fresh pairs of those things \u2013 which are a top 10 basketball shoe of all time in my opinion \u2013 from his early days in the league well into the 2000s in special Laker colorways. I\u2019d like to see him break them out some time next season to bookend his kicks career.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0I’ve been obsessed with the Jordan IV “Doernbecher” lately. Maybe Nate Rob or Nick Young will breathe new life into them on court this season.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>: On a mainstream throwback note, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the AJ XIX. It\u2019d be fun to see someone whip that out in recognition of that milestone. Same goes for the XIV, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Along the same lines, this year celebrates Carmelo Anthony\u2019s 10th with the JB; outside of MJ, no NBA player has as many signature Jordans as Melo. Look for him\/JB to dig deep in the vault for some old, old Melos to surface\u2014on his feet if no one else\u2019s. Additionally, Reebok has some back-of-the-closet throwbacks planned for Noel\u2019s return. I mean, with him playing in Philly, and with the Allen Iverson\/Reebok heritage there, look out for that potential. In terms of off-the-wall stuff, though, you know Iman Shumpert is probably going to whip out a pair of Jeremy Scott adidas\u2019 at some point. Lastly, it won\u2019t happen\u2014though players, think Gilbert Arenas, have worn non-basketball footwear before\u2014but I\u2019d love to see someone rock the Nike Free HyperFeels. Just think about it.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>:\u00a0Someone is going to wear a pair of those custom Jordans you see on Instagram, the ones with the exotic leathers that come from a 2 Chainz song. I hope it’s someone hilarious, like Boris Diaw.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: There’s a player out there that’s wild enough to wear the Nike MAG for at least one quarter. I don’t know if that’s possible – whoever does it will definitely have the lockdown factor because of the fastening system – but I can see someone like Derrick Williams or Nick Young going back to the future for at least one quarter.<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0It won’t happen, but it’ll be crazy if a player takes it all the way back and straps on the original retro\u2014a pair of Chucks\u2014during a game. It’ll take it all the way back: the original performance\/everything shoe. But with everything at stake now, I doubt any team’s equipment manager and coaching staff would allow a player to play an NBA game with Chucks. And they’d be right; Chucks are basically a pair of socks with a thin rubber bottom and shoelaces. But if that were to happen\u2014bonus points if he was on one of the original NBA teams, the Knicks or Celtics\u2014you should just give him the crown right there.<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0Somebody will play a game barefoot. Maybe Chris Kaman.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: I\u2019d love to see someone wearing the Air Jordan 5 “Doernbecher.” Not only because I love the design, but because I think it would be great for Isaac Arzate\u2019s family to see his legacy live on by more people learning about his story and raising awareness for other kids who might have similar heart conditions and not know it.<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>: I\u2019m going to go\u00a0Back to the Future\u00a0and say someone tries to rocks the Nike Mag. Eventually, someone is going to bring it out, even if it\u2019s only for a period of play. Imagine that shoe glowing during the starting introductions when all the stadium lights are low.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweeney<\/strong>: I’d probably go with Nick Young. His last few teams haven’t given him a great opportunity to rock some fly colorways — I’m not a big fan of the almost “USA” like colors of the Clippers and Sixers. But with the Lakers? He can go all out. Young is as Hollywood and as flashy as they come, so gold, yellow and purple should fit him perfectly.<\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: Nick Young to the Lakers. Nick is a prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Gilbert Arenas, the self proclaimed \u201csneaker champ\u201d who once rocked a pair of Dolce & Gabannas in a game at Staples Center, so you know he has seen the envelope pushed and will want to shove the stationery even further, if you will. Plus, being back in his native L.A. where he surely knows all the underground sneaker spots, will only keep his collection as stocked as ever.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0Steph moving to Under Armour was an unexpected storyline, and I’m curious to see what he’s going to be unveiling this season.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>:\u00a0Andre Iguodala, wearer of some of the nicer colorways in simpler Nikes, going to the Golden State Warriors is a big one. Lots he can do with the yellow, blue and white. Also, as I mentioned before, Young going to the Lakers is a big one. Victor Oladipo, the No. 2 overall pick who reportedly signed with Jordan, is another big one. I\u2019m excited to see what black and blue joints JB will set him up with. <\/b>Putting a different spin on things, the rebranding of New Orleans as the Pelicans, with new colors and all, means that the entire roster could don some interesting kicks. I\u2019d watch out for Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and, especially, Anthony Davis in particular.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>:\u00a0Does Rudy Gay getting a whole season on the Raptors count? I feel like he didn’t have all of his shoes last year, since he was a midseason trade. I think that should count, but if not, I’ll go with the 1-2 punch of Nate Robinson and Rip Hamilton both leaving the Bulls, meaning we won’t be seeing a bunch of Js in the colors they were meant to be seen in. Truly unfortunate.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: I’d have to say Nick Young to the Lakers for sure. Do know that every team he’s played for since he’s been in the NBA – Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers – has a color scheme of red, white and blue. There’s a countless number of shoes that feature red, white and blue. It will be tough for Nick Young to maintain that wow factor with an uncustomary colorway, but who else than Nick? Nick Young’s move to LaLa Land can also potentially serve as a platform to bring Kobes to the court we haven’t seen in a while.<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0It was interesting to see these mid-tier stars leave Nike for other brands. Steph Curry going to Under Armour, Rajon Rondo to Anta. You’ll be seeing more of this as players want to maximize their earnings and marketability. Nike is head-and-shoulders No. 1 in basketball, but they only have so much marketing opportunities for players not named LeBron, Kobe or Durant. Kyrie Irving looks to be the next in line and don’t forget Andrew Wiggins is just 7-8 months (if all goods accordingly) from being the No. 1 pick and biggest-since-LeBron sensation to enter the NBA. This opens up opportunity for adidas, Under Armour or a Chinese brand to make a mark.<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0I think Steph Curry going to Under Armour is pretty interesting. I know they’re trying hard to push their Anatomix Spawn and continue building momentum, and Curry gives them a big-time superstar to help push things forward.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: I\u2019d have to say Nick Young leaving Philly and joining the Lakers. Combine Swaggy P\u2019s love of kicks and his outrageous wardrobe with the newfound attention he\u2019ll get playing in his hometown and you know he won\u2019t disappoint.<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>:\u00a0I think Nick Young signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. Every guy wants the chance to play for his hometown and what better situation for Nick than to be playing in front of his family and friends while also being under the wing of Kobe?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweeney<\/strong>: It’s probably Derrick Williams. He enjoys breaking out stuff people haven’t seen in years and he’s doing it in a place that has somewhat difficult colors. If we’re talking sig sneakers, it’s definitely LeBron. Not even close for me. The X is already one of my favorite shoes ever and he killed it all year long. I’m not sure what will happen with the LeBron 11, but I’m sure the King will have some crazy PEs up his sleeve regardless.<\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: I\u2019ll have to go with Ray Allen. He always seems to have great PE Jordans on and he makes them look good, wearing a sneaker that is as appealing to admire as his picture-perfect shooting stroke.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0Maybe\/probably a little biased here, but aside from Kicks on Court winner Derrick Williams, DeMar DeRozan had heads spinning last season. He wears a lot of Kobes, but when he pulls out his Jordans, the locker room is always talking about them.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>:\u00a0Excluding LeBron James and Kobe Bryant\u2014that is, if you like their signature models\u2014and excluding Monta Ellis, Nate Robinson, Nick Young and Derrick Williams\u2014known sneakerheads who aren\u2019t afraid to pull off anything\u2014I\u2019d like to say that, quiet as kept, Michael Beasley wears some of the best kicks in the League.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>:\u00a0Ray Allen.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: LeBron James. Ever since 2008 with the Zoom LeBron VI, King James has consistently worn the best shoe in terms of performance, theme, style and colorway. Nike continues to incorporate new, game-changing technologies to LeBron’s line and supply him with a nice, persistent balance of player exclusives, NIKEiDs, and general releases to the court. Plus, big-game wears, like the “Big Apple” Zoom LeBron VI, the all-suede LeBron X in his first game against Brooklyn and the “MVP” pair he wore in the semifinals propel his on-court footwear past everyone else – signature athlete or not.<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0A few guys do it well (all the Kicks On Court nominees from last year) but they’re a majority of Nike guys. Not that Nike is the end-all, be-all, but the Nike guys have an advantage since there are more models and brands (with Converse and Jordan) and they have a deep archive of memorable hits. I hope Iman Shumpert takes it another level with adidas, they’ve got a long history of shoes that many of today’s kids might not be aware of and Iman’s not afraid to lace em up.<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0Nate Robinson.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: It\u2019s Nate Robinson. It\u2019ll be interesting to see what Nate does now that he\u2019s in Denver. I\u2019m anxious to see how much he\u2019ll be influenced by his new team\u2019s color scheme. It\u2019s seamless when you\u2019re wearing Jordans while playing for the Bulls. Let\u2019s see what he does now that he\u2019s in different shades of blue and yellow. If you can pull off wearing AJ 7 Miros, you can probably pull off anything.<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>: I\u2019m going to have to go with Derrick Williams, simply based on variety and it was hard to pick him over Nick Young, but Derrick rocked some heat last season and I\u2019m looking for more of the same with him in what should be a good year for the T\u2019Wolves \u2013 health permitting.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweeney<\/strong>: I think Draymond Green is a name to watch for a few reasons. One, Golden State’s colorways are dope and unique. And two, he really stepped up his game in the playoffs and might take on a bigger role with more minutes this season. That’ll only help get him noticed. I’d also throw J.R. Smith’s name in there if only because he has no problems at all with versatility.<\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: Rajon Rondo. He just has swag. Simple as that. And based on the creativity we\u2019ve seen out of him in the past, plus the fact that the Celtics are now clearly his team and his alone with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in Brooklyn and Allen in Miami, I could see Rondo\u2019s shoe game rising to another level this season.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0Someone wearing a lot of Jordans because we all know that’s what gets us talking more than anything. Tony Wroten or Jordan Hamilton.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>:\u00a0Depending on if he stays in Toronto the entire season, Rudy Gay is a good name to throw out there. While we\u2019re talking Toronto, keep an eye on Terrence Ross. But those aren\u2019t really surprises, so let\u2019s say Mavs rookie Shane Larkin, who wore unreal heat in college, and Nets rookie Mason Plumlee, a huge closet sneakerhead, are two guys to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>:\u00a0Isn’t it about time for LeBron to start wearing retros of his old shoes? Seems like it, plus he’s winning everything else in the NBA, so we might as well just give him another trophy.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: Tony Wroten. He received little recognition due to lack of playing time in Memphis, but now that he has a chance to get on the court in Philadelphia expect to see a wide array of sneakers on court from him. He’s already worn Pink Foamposites (for Breast Cancer Awareness), Shadow Air Jordan 10s, Toro Bravo 5s and the Air Jordan XIX in the preseason. Look out for young Tony Wroten.<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0It’s hard to mess with the NBA players that know the shoe game. Surprisingly, many NBA players (more than you would think) aren’t too heavy in that game. You have guys who still see sneakers as sports equipment (which they are) and will just stick to what works, you have guys that are hypebeasts (even the NBA crowd is not immune to that) and you won’t get far just falling in line with the crowd, and many just don’t care. I might go with someone like LeBron. If he really wanted the crown, he’d have the clout to have Nike make up some crazy 1-of-1s on his LeBron 11 and obliterate the field. This is a dude that made a prime-time special on ESPN to announce his free-agency decision. But the King is focused on the real prize: a third NBA title. He’ll leave the Kicks on Court chip for the little princes of the NBA.<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0Rasheed Wallace. I know he’s coaching for Detroit now, but I’m hoping we see a Nike\/Cole Haan collaboration with the Sheed silhouette on the heel. I’d totally cop those to wear to formal events.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: I\u2019m going with Pistons rookie Tony Mitchell. For starters, he\u2019s a freak of nature who can jump out of the gym so we know he\u2019s going to get attention for his dunking ability as long as he can get minutes. I remember him showing up to the NBA\u2019s rookie photo shoot wearing Grape Vs.<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>:\u00a0I have three: Tony Wroten, J.R. Smith and Jared Cunningham.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sweeney<\/strong>: I’d probably go with Derrick Rose. The folks at adidas are never afraid to take chances. Sometimes they hit; sometimes they miss. Maybe I’m just so ready to see Rose playing ball again, but I’m really interested to see how they lace him this season. Russell Westbrook is my other top choice. It’s easy to guarantee he’ll deliver at least three or four “WTF is he wearing?” shoes this season.<\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: I\u2019ll go with Derrick Rose here. I have been generally impressed with his signature line from adidas and want to see what he\u2019ll be wearing after he finally returns after missing the entire 2012-13 season.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0Rajon Rondo. For the shoes, the passes, the passion and heart (and risks like the pink foams that most do not get away with), it’ll be a happy, joyous day when Rondo is back on the court where he belongs.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>:\u00a0Iman Shumpert. Though he returned mid-season last year, he didn\u2019t have a chance to really show what\u2019s in his collection. Russell Westbrook, upon his return from his knee hiatus, will show out with some fresh JBs. And, Rajon Rondo with Anta.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>:\u00a0Can’t wait to see those Greg Oden Dr. Scholl’s.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: I’m looking forward to the return of Kobe Bryant. Obviously, he’s one of the greats, but I’m also eager to see where they go with his ninth signature shoe following the Achilles heel injury. Nike has done an impressive job of keeping the upcoming Kobe 9 securely under wraps. Whispers of a Nike\/Kobe returning to mid-top after five years of low-cuts have circulated over the past few months, but I’m ready to hear and see the full story.<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0The logical answer is Derrick Rose. He’s the most important player to his team and after last season’s drawn-out, will-he-or-won’t-he affair (along with adidas “The Return” campaign), it seems like Rose has been gone longer than one season. He’s the face of adidas and one of the most popular players in China. His return will certainly be a big boost for the brand. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the D Rose line, but I think today’s fickle consumers expect something different every year. The casual sneaker fan will have difficulty identifying his line from year-to-year. Like I said, there’s nothing wrong with the evolutionary changes from model to model, but once again, I think Mike set the blueprint in people’s minds to expect something different every year. Rose is a great player (one of the top 5 when healthy) with an exciting game. His shoe should reflect that.<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0Derrick Rose. As dominant as he was, we live in such an instant gratification society, and I think people forget just how explosive and amazing he can be. And I haven’t seen the D Rose 4 in person yet, but I really like the images I’ve seen and think they’ll look dope in action.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: Kobe. I\u2019m interested to see what types of technological changes the Achilles injury has spawned in sneakers. I also want to know if we\u2019re still going to see Kobe wearing lows or if his doctors want to see wearing something that might give the Achilles more support.<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>:\u00a0It has to be Derrick Rose. Took the most criticism he ever has had to deal with in his professional career and a lot of it from his hometown. With what I\u2019ve seen so far in preseason and how the Bulls have used him so far, I think he\u2019s poised for a big season. I would also have to throw Russell Westbrook into the equation because just like with his off the court fashion, you never know what that guy could pull out of his closet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n McMenamin<\/strong>: Two immediately come to mind. One is kind of quirky, the other is a bit of a conspiracy theory for you sneakerheads out there to mull over. The quirky one? Antawn Jamison puts his socks and sneakers on first, then puts on his pants. Just weird. The conspiracy theory? Back in 2011, the five-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant\u2019s 81-point game was approaching and I asked if Kobe would wear the Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4s in homage to the kicks he wore when he torched the Raptors. He said he hadn\u2019t really thought about it and I tried to appeal to the respect he has for Michael Jordan by pointing out that MJ wore his original Air Jordan 1s in his last game as a Bull at Madison Square Garden in the spirit of nostalgia. That\u2019s when Kobe kind of blew my mind. He told me Michael didn\u2019t wear those old Jordans to celebrate his career coming full circle at the Mecca, he only did it because Nike had decided to start selling his retro Air Jordans and what better way to drum up interest in potential buyers who wanted to be like Mike than have Jordan make it seem like he just decided to wear them in a game for old time\u2019s sake. The story kind of hurt the kid in me who grew up idolizing Jordan, but the sneakerhead in me loved hearing the real behind the scenes stuff at work there.<\/p>\n MacKenzie<\/strong>:\u00a0I’ve had more than one NBA’er tell me that DeRozan has ruined their stop at RIF in LA because he’s bought out their size 14s. After an All-Star weekend trip back home last season, I asked DeRozan how many pairs of shoes he came home with. The number, which I won’t reveal here, made me weak and is higher than the total number of shoes currently in my closet.<\/p>\n Twersky<\/strong>:\u00a0I do\u2026but I\u2019d rather share one that was told to me by Allen Iverson. I can\u2019t recall if I\u2019ve ever published this on SLAMonline, but I\u2019ll tell it anyways.\u00a0Early in Iverson\u2019s rookie year, back in 1996 when the League was 180 degrees different, the young guard was wearing the now-iconic but then hastily-finished Reebok Question Mids. Because he signed with Reebok so late in the game, Iverson didn\u2019t really have much of a say-so in the makings of the shoe. With that in mind, Iverson struggled early in the season with finding the perfect fit. As he recalled for me recently, he used to take off his shoes after games only to find blood covering his socks. Granted, the blood didn\u2019t stop him from killing the competition and granted it didn\u2019t stop the Questions from achieving fame, but it also didn\u2019t stop constant razzing from his teammates. Derrick Coleman in particular was relentless. Reebok, AI said, fixed the problem quickly but still\u2026It\u2019s kind of funny to think about, and would\u2019ve been dope to witness. If only they would\u2019ve known then what we know now.<\/p>\n Kerby<\/strong>:\u00a0Not really locker room, technically, but\u00a0I wrote something really nice about Brad Miller, who is my favorite non-MJ basketball player ever. That made its way to his wife, who started following me on Twitter and eventually mailed me a pair of his game-worn Hyperfuses. Amazingly, they ended up arriving on my birthday, making it the best birthday in the history of time.<\/p>\n Kiel<\/strong>: I remember going to the Heat vs. Spurs game on Easter Sunday this past season. Coach Spoelstra DNP-CD’ed LeBron James, Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade as a tit for tat-type of move because San Antonio sat a few of their key players against the Heat earlier this season. Players don’t usually talk to the media when they don’t dress out, but a couple of nights before Dwyane told me he wanted the opportunity to detail his new playoff shoe. I went into the interview thinking that I was only going to get commentary about Dwyane’s shoe from Dwyane himself, but 3-4 players, including LeBron James, seemed to know everything about the Li-Ning Way of Wade as if it was their shoe. LeBron knew pretty much every Way of Wade colorway that Dwyane wore leading up to that game and helped him name his top 5 signature colorways. With players being so busy with building their own brands, it was different to see a high-profile player like LeBron – who has one of, if not the most popular signature shoe line – dish out great details on a shoe you would think he knows nothing about (King James Aids Dwyane Wade in Naming Top 5 Kicks<\/a>).<\/p>\n Wong<\/strong>:\u00a0Shane Battier used to serve as tech editor for HOOP when he was playing in Houston. I had never met him in person so when the Rockets were in town playing the Knicks, I went to introduce myself to him before the game. We talked a bit at his locker as he was getting dressed (I have to add that Battier is one of the smartest and most self-aware professional athletes I’ve ever met) and as he was about to lace up his shoes (he had recently just signed with Peak) he asked me what I thought about them. Now I’m pretty open-minded when it comes to footwear, but I’m also terrible at hiding my true feelings about something. When he asked me, I looked at them for a bit and just managed to let out a: “they’re cool” (or something to that effect) but my face must’ve said otherwise. Battier laughed and told me (I’m paraphrasing as this was a few years ago now) \u00a0“It’s ok, I get paid to wear them.”<\/p>\n Whitaker<\/strong>:\u00a0I remember when Nate was on the Knicks and before one game he was lacing up a pair of Barkleys, and I asked him if he had a lot of them at home. He told me he had asked Nike for some Barkleys and they didn’t have any in their archives in his size, so he had actually gone on eBay and ordered the pair he was wearing that night in the game.<\/p>\n Ungvari<\/strong>: I don\u2019t have my own story but my favorite story is about Kobe Bryant and Ruben Patterson and it took place the last game of the 2003-04 regular season. The Lakers were battling Sacramento for the Pacific Division title and the second-seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Sacramento had lost earlier in the evening to Golden St. but owned the tiebreaker over the Lakers. If the Lakers were to lose the game they\u2019d not only concede the division title and the second-seed to Sacramento but they\u2019d also fall behind San Antonio and into the fourth-seed. Portland had already been eliminated from playoff contention and the only thing they had to play for was making the Lakers road to another title more difficult. With the Blazers up by three points and only eight seconds left, Patterson, who was a teammate of Bryant\u2019s for one season with the Lakers, missed a pair of free throws that would have made it a two-possession game. The Lakers still had a chance. Now Patterson, who had once nicknamed himself \u201cThe Kobe Stopper\u201d, was tasked with guarding Bryant on the final possession of regulation. He did as good of a job as one could expect and yet Kobe still managed to get off a circus-like shot that sent the game into overtime. But that wasn\u2019t all. With the Blazers up by two points and only one second left in the second OT, once again Bryant got the call, once again it was Patterson\u2019s job to stop him, and once again Kobe delivered. But this time it wasn\u2019t for the tie but for the win. After the game, Patterson visited his former teammate in the Rose Garden\u2019s visitor\u2019s locker room and asked Kobe if he could have the sneakers he was wearing and if Kobe would autograph them. When reporters asked Patterson about it, he replied with, “Yeah, I asked for his shoes. I said, \u2018You’ve got to give me your shoes for that one.'”<\/p>\n Cason<\/strong>: The most memorable one is interviewing Michael Beasley pregame before the Heat were set to take on the Bulls in Chicago. The interview was for Sole Collector and with any Sole Collector interview, I always had the mag with me to introduce myself and SC to get the players familiar with the mag. This issue was the ever-popular Jordan issue. Beasley was the only player out of around 13 that season that actually begged to keep the mag before the interview begin and I hesitantly gave it up as I hadn\u2019t had the chance to look through it or read it. Adidas had just done a PE of the TS Supernatural Commander for Beasley and the interview centered on that, him being a sneakerhead, etc. For an adidas guy, at the time, Beasley was very open about his love for Jordan\u2019s and how he would have loved to sign with them. All while he\u2019s talking about Jordan and his love of the brand, Quentin Richardson is sitting across from him just smiling and holding up one of the three PE\u2019s he was deciding to wear before the game. Beasley talked about the changes he would make at adidas as far as making the shoes better from a aesthetic standpoint. He then talked about the money being the reason he signed with them over Nike after having gone to a Nike school in Kansas State. Information like this is great because he was honest and very forthcoming, but it isn’t good news for a guy on an adidas deal. I edited most of the interview to where it was still a good read and wouldn\u2019t put Beasley in any hot water.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @SEANesweeney<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: seanesweeney<\/a><\/p>\n I’m the Senior Editor at Dime Magazine, where I cover all levels of basketball both online and in the magazine. I’ve been writing about the NBA for almost four years, mostly with Dime. I studied communications and journalism in college at Springfield (home of the Hall of Fame) and at Syracuse, and have been writing since I was a little kid. I’d never say I have a specific favorite sneaker — that differs from month to month at times. But I would say the first shoe I ever actually “noticed” was the Jordan XI. I know that’s cliche to say, but when he debuted that sneaker during the ’95 Playoffs, I was finishing up second grade and had just started playing ball. It was perfect timing. Another shoe that really got me into sneakers was the Answer IV — again perfect timing. I was in the eighth grade, Iverson was everywhere, and this was one of the first sneakers where I actually had the money to go out and get myself. I still remember going crazy over the white\/red\/grey joints. The other was actually the original TMAC 1. That will probably surprise more than a few people, but growing up, I never looked at sneakers like “How will these look on me at school?” or “Will I be the only one who has these?” I bought them to hoop and I bought whatever my favorite players were wearing. Safe to say I was a monster McGrady fan. I thought his line fell off pretty quickly, and even some of the eventual colorways of that first sig shoe were a little meh. But I still have the black\/royal blue original and it’s still dope to me.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @mcten<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been covering the NBA since the 2005-06 season, first looking at the league as a whole for NBA.com and more recently piling up bylines as the Los Angeles Lakers beat writer for ESPN.com. But before this was my career, I\u2019ve been a hoophead since my elementary school days and have immersed myself in the whole basketball culture that goes along with being one. So of course, that means I\u2019m all about kicks. I started my sports journalism career writing for newspapers back when I was 14 and my love for hoops has been there every step of the way since, from my days as a high school bench warmer, to being part of a NCAA championship as a manager at Syracuse to realizing my dream of playing college ball by making the team at the University of Limerick when I studied abroad in Ireland. And as long as I\u2019ve had basketball on my brain, I\u2019ve cared about the kicks on my feet. Here\u2019s an interview I did a few years back about my favorite sneakers of all time (Interview<\/a>) to get a feel for what kind of treads get me going. Let\u2019s just put it this way, I harbor aspirations of Nike someday mass producing the Air McTen.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @stackmack<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: stackmack<\/a><\/p>\n The start of preseason coincided with the fifth anniversary of my move to Toronto. While I grew up on the East Coast of Canada (Nova Scotia!), I moved to Toronto five years ago to chase my dream of covering the NBA. I’ve covered the league, with an emphasis often on the Toronto Raptors for various sites, magazines and newspapers along the way. During the NBA lockout, I also worked with Nike Basketball where anyone who has an appreciation for shoes will soon have that appreciation become a bit of an obsession.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @TTwersky<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: ttwersky<\/a><\/p>\n Vocationally, I’m the senior editor at SLAM Magazine. I’ve been at SLAM since early in 2009. In that time, I’ve covered everything from teams to players, films to books, models to rappers, sneakers to lifestyle footwear. After a recent sneaker purge\u2014like Hov said, “less is more”\u2014I’ve narrowed my closet(s) down to a more manageable number. What’s left is far from fab, but that slight collection includes some of my favs: Olive IXs, Cav IVs, Georgetown Questions, Answer Vs, Shox BB4 and some Crazy 8 PEs. The only thing(s) better than walking in an NBA locker room and having players ask me where I copped my kicks is hitting a game-winner, writing a worthwhile story, and of course seeing the gf.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @treykerby<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: treykerby<\/a><\/p>\n When people ask me what I do, I tell them I’m part of a basketball TV show called “The Starters,” premiering this Oct. 30 at 5pm on NBATV. That gives me a chance to plug our show, which is “The Starters,” premiering this Oct. 30 at 5pm on NBATV. Not only do I appear on the show, I also run our blog, also conveniently called “The Starters.” We cover the league as a whole, in just about every way imaginable. Pick-and-rolls, Nate Robinson wearing Bean Boots for a game in Boston, or Dwyane Wade trying to give himself another terrible nickname — we do everything. I started how everyone on the internet does, by wasting company time messing around on the internet while I was supposed to be working. After a long while, that somehow turned in to being a part of “The Starters,” premiering this Oct. 30 at 5pm on NBATV. Shoutout to high-speed internet access and lax firewall setups.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>:\u00a0@geokthree<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>:\u00a0geokthree<\/a><\/p>\n I’m the associate editor at NiceKicks.com. Since 2008, I’ve had my hands in pretty much everything here, including day-to-day staff writing, conducting interviews, editing, representing the company at media events and many other things. I’m in charge of our Kicks On Court column and have expanded it to our 2-year-old Kicks On Court Weekly Recap show. I’m also the host of our Sneak Peek series, where we visit the homes of various celebrities, athletes and sneaker enthusiasts to get an in-depth look inside their\u00a0sneaker closets\/collections.\u00a0I studied Mass Communications\/Print Journalism in college at Texas State University, where I also played on the basketball team and wrote for the Sports section of the school newspaper – University Star – simultaneously. As for sneakers, they have always been a by-product of my love for basketball. I have been playing basketball since the age of five and have always paid attention to what people wore on the court. Some of my all-time favorites on-court shoes include the Nike Air Zoom T-Bug Flight, the Nike Zoom Flight Turbine, the Nike Zoom Kobe V, the adidas Pro Model, the Air Jordan 11 and the Nike Hyperflight. All of those shoes have graced my feet at some point during my basketball career from middle school to college. I also have a weird thing for grey shoes. 75% of my shoe collection is colored in grey.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @HOOPmag<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: hoopmag<\/a><\/p>\n I’ve been covering the NBA for 13 years now at HOOP and this will be my 10th year as the magazine’s EIC. Even more than a sport like soccer (and those guys rely on their feet for everything) sneakers and the NBA are directly connected. I’ve always loved following the game, and the draw to sneakers naturally followed. I’m fascinated with the direction that sneakers are going now from a technological and engineering standpoint, it seems every year there is something new that is introduced that makes the shoes lighter, stronger, more durable or better performing. As much as the market is fixated with retros now, I think people are losing sight of all the great advancements in the latest releases. The times I play, I will wear the latest (but only because I’m curious about the new shoes and review some for HOOP), but off court, I stick to Air Jordan 1s, Air Maxes, Dunks, Chucks, New Balance 574s and 1300s. I used to have more variety, but recently I got rid of close to 70% of my sneakers.<\/p>\n\n Twitter<\/strong>: @langwhitaker<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: langwhitaker<\/a><\/p>\n I write for NBA.com, and podcast for NBA.com, and talk on NBA TV. Before NBA.com, I was at SLAM for about a decade. I cover the entire NBA for NBA.com blogging about funny stuff and writing essays and talking to players and whatever else needs to be done. My all-time favorite shoe is probably the Jordan III. I got into sneakers when I was in fifth grade, when I was killing time in class by reading one of those college basketball preview magazines and I saw an ad for the adidas Forum, with the Dellinger web, and I just thought they were profound. Around the same time I saw Lenny Bias play against Georgia Tech wearing Nike Terminators and I wanted the shoe so badly, so that I could play like Bias. After that I was hooked.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>: @DrewUnga<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>: drewunga<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been making a living as a screenwriter since 2002. After I graduated from college, I got a job working in the new media department of a Hollywood talent agency. During the Writers Guild strike in 2007-08, I started blogging about the NBA as a means to keep active. Then Twitter came along and I was able to build a nice following. Before long I was writing a weekly column for FoxSports.com and getting featured on CBSSports.com. That eventually led to me writing for LakersNation, probably the most successful fan site amongst pro sports. Besides also being the resident basketball nerd on Snkrs Day\u2019 series, \u201cKickin\u2019 With The Dan Levy\u201d, I\u2019ve also done some consultant work for sports-related websites in helping them build up their social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. I started getting into sneakers around the same time that the Jordans debuted. It was in 1985, when I was 8, when my dad took me to get a pair of black and red Sky Jordans for me and a pair of Air Jordans for him. I grew up in L.A. in the 80s and 90s so I\u2019ve been obsessed with the Lakers and Magic Johnson as long as I can remember. But even my Lakers fandom wasn\u2019t enough to ever ask my parents to buy me a pair of purple and gold Converse Weapons. I might have been a diehard fan but I still had a fashion sense. Back then the Raiders were still in L.A. so it didn\u2019t take long for me to switch allegiances from Jordans to Bo Jackson Nike Air Trainers and Agassi Air Tech Challenges. High school for me was all about the adidas Superstars that the Beastie Boys made popular and Air Max CB 34s. I\u2019ve lived in L.A. for 98 percent of my life. The fact that I\u2019ve never lived more than four miles away from Sportie L.A., one of the best shoe stores in the world, has allowed me to keep up with the shoe game and find some sneakers that I probably wouldn\u2019t find anywhere else. In terms of design, I think the most beautiful sneakers of all-time were the original Jordan IIIs, the Nike Air Tech Challenge II Hot Lavas, and the adidas Nastase Lows with the blue and red stripes. I\u2019ve always loved simple, timeless shoes. My favorite sneaker is without question the adidas Stan Smith.<\/p>\n Twitter<\/strong>:\u00a0@C4DUNK<\/a>\/Instagram<\/strong>:\u00a0c4dunk<\/a><\/p>\n I’ve been covering the Chicago Bulls for the Examiner.com for five years now. I report news, game recaps and other stories pertaining to the team. I also write for HOOP magazine and Sneaker Freaker magazine and have contributed to SLAM, Sole Collector, Counterkicks and Modern Notoriety. My start in covering the NBA came from my mentor\/brother Anthony Gilbert, who introduced me to my first writing gig at a site called MVN.com. From there, the Examiner.com started in 2008 and I was contacted about coming aboard. The only way I was leaving MVN was if the Examiner would fight for me to be credentialed. They did, I\u2019m there, and while the Examiner doesn\u2019t help pay the bills, the access it gives me to the opportunities to work with others to tell stories \u2013 and help pay the bills \u2013 is priceless. There\u2019s also the blessing of being able to cover a franchise that I grew up watching. I walk past the Jordan statue before each home game and make sure to step on the hardwood every game I work because it\u2019s definitely a dream come true and something I don\u2019t take for granted. My favorite shoe today remains the Air Jordan V. I still remember seeing my uncle in the original Black\/Silver pair back in \u201991. The flash of the 3M on the tongue instantly caught my eye and changed my mindset on the shoes I wanted to wear going forward, even though my mom wouldn\u2019t get me my first pair of Jordan\u2019s until I was 12 and it was the AJ XIII\u2019s. A lot of my favorite models are from the 90\u2019s because of the design stories behind them and the things that were done in them. The Royal Blue Foamposite, the Nike Air Zoom GP, Nike Hyperflights, Adidas Pro Model, Air Force 180, Air More Uptempo, Air Max Penny 1, Reebok Question.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We are exactly one week away from Opening Day of the NBA season. Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday we spotted Nate Robinson wearing Yeezy 2s on court, saw Nick Young playing against Kobe in Kobe 1s, and crowned Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams the 2013 Kicks On Court Champion.<\/p>\n With the awareness of what players wear on court at an all-time high (and it’s only going to grow from here), we trekked away from the sneaker industry for a moment and formed a panel of experts in the NBA multimedia world – from ESPN, NBA.com, SLAM and other publications – to get their takes on last season and what to expect this season. Check them out debating the top questions surrounding Kicks On Court and share entertaining locker room stories in the panel discussion below.<\/p>\n Following the discussion, visit the last page to get familiar with the experts and their love for sneakers through each person’s bio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":341911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[835],"tags":[1225551,1211565],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n1. What is your biggest takeaway from last season in regards to Kicks On Court?<\/h2>\n
2. Which player, in terms of Kicks On Court, are you most looking forward to checking out during opening week?<\/h2>\n
3. Which shoe will be the surprise on-court wear of the year (think Nate Robinson wearing the Nike Air Yeezy 2 on court this past season)?<\/h2>\n
4. What was the most intriguing player transaction this offseason from a Kicks On Court standpoint?<\/h2>\n
5. Who consistently wears the best kicks on court in the NBA?<\/h2>\n
6. Who do you think will be the top dark-horse candidate to win Kicks On Court Champion this upcoming season (surprise player of the year)?<\/h2>\n
7. Which injured player are you looking forward to seeing return in terms of their kicks on court?<\/h2>\n
8. Do you have an interesting or unique locker room sneaker story?<\/h2>\n
Meet the Roundtable<\/h2>\n
Sean Sweeney – Senior Editor at Dime Magazine<\/h3>\n
Dave McMenamin – Los Angeles Lakers Beat Writer for ESPN<\/h3>\n
Holly MacKenzie – Toronto Raptors Reporter for SportsNet<\/h3>\n
Tzvi Twersky – Senior Editor at SLAM Magazine<\/h3>\n
Trey Kerby – Key Contributor of NBA TV’s ‘The Starters’<\/h3>\n
George Kiel – Associate Editor at NiceKicks.com<\/h3>\n
Ming Wong – Editor in Chief at HOOP Magazine<\/h3>\n
Lang Whitaker – Writer for NBA.com\/Reporter on NBA TV<\/h3>\n
Andrew Ungvari – Writer for Lakers Nation<\/h3>\n
Christopher Cason – Writer for Examiner.com<\/h3>\n