Signature sneakers are a lot more scarce than they used to be. In the 90s, it seems as if everyone owned a signature shoe at one point. We even witnessed rosters with two signature players on the same team: Michael Jordan\/Scottie Pippen, Penny Hardaway\/Shaq and Shawn Kemp\/Gary Payton. These days, signature lines are more sacred. Only the cream of the crop – the LeBrons, the Durants and the Derrick Roses – have signatures. Should Kyrie Irving be included? Yes, and the time is now.<\/p>\n
All eyes will be on the Cleveland Cavaliers this season for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n
During the past three seasons, the Cavs have had a total of 11 national television appearances – five last season and one per season in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. With the addition of LeBron James and Kevin Love this offseason, we can expect to see Cleveland on ESPN, TNT and NBA TV almost every week, maybe twice during some 7-day stretches. The significant increase in TV time translates into a limitless amount of eyes on the footwear of the Cavs players, specifically LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, which creates the perfect moment for Nike to take advantage of new product on one of the league’s rising stars.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lead image via Abita Jefferson<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are rare instances in which a player receives a signature shoe extremely early or awfully late, like LeBron James being equipped with the Nike Air Zoom Generation in his very first year and Charles Barkley’s Nike Air Force Max CB coming eight years after he entered the NBA, respectively, but history tells us that Kyrie Irving has already surpassed the time it’s taken some of the other young stars the league has seen\u00a0to own a signature shoe. Kevin Durant played in the NBA for a season and a half before his first signature shoe, the Nike KD 1, hit retailers in February of 2009; Derrick Rose also played two full seasons – the same amount of time it took Nike to reward Penny Hardaway with the Nike Air Penny I – before adidas granted him with the D Rose 1; Chris Paul’s Jordan CP released two and a half seasons after he entered the league and Dwyane Wade’s Converse I released at the start of the 2005-2006 season – exactly two years after his NBA debut. Each of the aforementioned players also showed an increase in production between Year 1 and Year 2, which further clarifies the respective player’s path to superstardom.<\/p>\n Irving has now played three full seasons in the NBA, and his production has remained steady – and increased in some categories – from year to year.<\/p>\n Kevin Durant –\u00a0Nike KD I Release Year = 2009<\/strong> Penny Hardaway – Nike Air Penny I Release Year = 1995<\/strong> Derrick Rose – adidas D Rose 1 Release Year = 2010<\/strong> Chris Paul – Jordan CP Release Year = 2008<\/strong> Kyrie Irving<\/strong> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This past February, Kyrie Irving, at the age of 21, became one of the youngest players to be named\u00a0the NBA All-Star MVP, which puts him in a class with the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. However, of the last 18 NBA All-Star Game MVPs, Kyrie Irving is the only player without a signature shoe. Not to mention, he’s reached the status of a shoe-in All-Star starter thanks to fan voting. The masses are behind him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n In a sense, Nike unofficially tested the market with a Kyrie Irving-assisted shoe by exclusively attaching his\u00a0name to the rollout of the Nike Zoom HyperRev at the beginning of this year. Sure, a lot of the HyperRev’s success can be accredited to the Swoosh’s ability to innovate, but the attachment of Kyrie’s name to the HyperRev’s press release<\/a>\u00a0increased the popularity of this shoe tremendously.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nThe Timing and Increased Production Matches Up with History<\/h1>\n
\n2007-2008 – 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists
\n2008-2009 – \u00a025.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists<\/p>\n
\n1993-1994\u00a0– 16.0 points, 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds
\n1994-1995\u00a0– 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds<\/p>\n
\n2008-2009 – 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds
\n2009-2010 –\u00a020.8 points, 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds<\/p>\n
\n2005-2006 – 16.1 points, 7.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds
\n2006-2007 –\u00a017.3 points, 8.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds
\n2007-2008 –\u00a021.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds<\/p>\n
\n2011-2012 – 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds
\n2012-2013 – 22.5 points 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds
\n2013-2014 – 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds<\/p>\nNBA All-Star MVP History<\/h1>\n
Market Test a Success<\/h1>\n
Uncle Drew is Marketable<\/h1>\n
![<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\nLead image via Abita Jefferson<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\nThe Timing and Increased Production Matches Up with History<\/h1>\nThere are rare instances in which a player receives a signature shoe extremely early or awfully late, like LeBron James being equipped with the Nike Air Zoom Generation in his very first year and Charles Barkley’s Nike Air Force Max CB coming eight years after he entered the NBA, respectively, but history tells us that Kyrie Irving has already surpassed the time it’s taken some of the other young stars the league has seen\u00a0to own a signature shoe. Kevin Durant played in the NBA for a season and a half before his first signature shoe, the Nike KD 1, hit retailers in February of 2009; Derrick Rose also played two full seasons – the same amount of time it took Nike to reward Penny Hardaway with the Nike Air Penny I – before adidas granted him with the D Rose 1; Chris Paul’s Jordan CP released two and a half seasons after he entered the league and Dwyane Wade’s Converse I released at the start of the 2005-2006 season – exactly two years after his NBA debut. Each of the aforementioned players also showed an increase in production between Year 1 and Year 2, which further clarifies the respective player’s path to superstardom.<\/p>\nIrving has now played three full seasons in the NBA, and his production has remained steady – and increased in some categories – from year to year.<\/p>\nKevin Durant –\u00a0Nike KD I Release Year = 2009<\/strong>\n2007-2008 – 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists\n2008-2009 – \u00a025.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists<\/p>\nPenny Hardaway – Nike Air Penny I Release Year = 1995<\/strong>\n1993-1994\u00a0– 16.0 points, 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds\n1994-1995\u00a0– 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds<\/p>\nDerrick Rose – adidas D Rose 1 Release Year = 2010<\/strong>\n2008-2009 – 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds\n2009-2010 –\u00a020.8 points, 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds<\/p>\nChris Paul – Jordan CP Release Year = 2008<\/strong>\n2005-2006 – 16.1 points, 7.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds\n2006-2007 –\u00a017.3 points, 8.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds\n2007-2008 –\u00a021.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds<\/p>\nKyrie Irving<\/strong>\n2011-2012 – 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds\n2012-2013 – 22.5 points 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds\n2013-2014 – 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\nNBA All-Star MVP History<\/h1>\nThis past February, Kyrie Irving, at the age of 21, became one of the youngest players to be named\u00a0the NBA All-Star MVP, which puts him in a class with the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. However, of the last 18 NBA All-Star Game MVPs, Kyrie Irving is the only player without a signature shoe. Not to mention, he’s reached the status of a shoe-in All-Star starter thanks to fan voting. The masses are behind him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\nMarket Test a Success<\/h1>\n<\/a><\/p>\nIn a sense, Nike unofficially tested the market with a Kyrie Irving-assisted shoe by exclusively attaching his\u00a0name to the rollout of the Nike Zoom HyperRev at the beginning of this year. Sure, a lot of the HyperRev’s success can be accredited to the Swoosh’s ability to innovate, but the attachment of Kyrie’s name to the HyperRev’s press release<\/a>\u00a0increased the popularity of this shoe tremendously.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nUncle Drew is Marketable<\/h1>\n](\"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/files\/2014\/08\/kyrie-and-lebron.jpg\"){kind=link}
![<\/a><\/p>\nIn a sense, Nike unofficially tested the market with a Kyrie Irving-assisted shoe by exclusively attaching his\u00a0name to the rollout of the Nike Zoom HyperRev at the beginning of this year. Sure, a lot of the HyperRev’s success can be accredited to the Swoosh’s ability to innovate, but the attachment of Kyrie’s name to the HyperRev’s press release<\/a>\u00a0increased the popularity of this shoe tremendously.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nUncle Drew is Marketable<\/h1>\n](\"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/files\/2014\/08\/kyrie-irving-nike-zoom-hyperrev-home-cavs-pe.jpg\"){kind=link}