{"id":411054,"date":"2014-10-23T14:01:30","date_gmt":"2014-10-23T19:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=411054"},"modified":"2022-09-17T13:01:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-17T18:01:12","slug":"koc25-important-sneaker-stars-nba-history-10-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/koc25-important-sneaker-stars-nba-history-10-6\/","title":{"rendered":"#KOC25: The Most Important Sneaker Stars in NBA History (10-6)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The home stretch has begun. Our #KOC25: The Most Important Sneaker Stars in NBA History<\/strong> countdown really heats up today as we unveil players 10-6. The stars are a plentiful, covering four decades of play and numerous released and unreleased favorites. Who cracked the top ten? Read on to find out and give us your feedback on the rankings on social media by using the hashtag #KOC25.<\/p>\n

10. Ray Allen<\/h2>\n photo by Ronald Martinez\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n

Maybe at some point, it will be up for discussion. Right now, though, it\u2019s not a debate. There is no question about who has the best Air Jordan player exclusives. It’s Ray Allen<\/strong> by a landslide, and it has been for years.<\/p>\n

Maybe Russell Westbrook will be given a ton of PEs over the course of his career, as he already has some amazing sneakers exclusive to him. Or maybe Jabari Parker will surpass Ray Allen one day seeing that he has been gifted a pretty nice pair as a rookie, but until Westbrook, Parker or anyone else for that matter gets to that level, Ray Allen is the king of Air Jordan PEs<\/strong>, hands down. At this stage of Allen’s career, there should be no confusion as to why he received special treatment and privileges. I mean, he is the longest-tenured Jordan Brand athlete in all of sports, and for that reason he is Jordan Brand’s most important athlete not named Michael Jordan.<\/p>\n

-George Kiel III<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

9. Charles Barkley<\/h2>\n photo by John W. McDonough\/SI via SI Kids<\/a>\n

Charles Barkley may have said he’s “not a role model,” but isn’t he though? In today’s technical landscape where anyone can say anything to everyone with the click of a button, we’re all quick to bite our tongue and we often admires those that aren’t. Sir Charles? Royally rude, potently profound and just play silly, the Round Mound of Rebound has always been brash and bold. His shoes and game were just the same.<\/p>\n

Upon entering the league, Charles Barkley would find a home in Philadelphia and a home in the Force camp. Much like David Robinson to Tim Duncan, Moses Malone would mentor Chuck on the court and Nike would hand down his high tops. Much unlike David Robinson or Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley would prove to have a radiant personality that Nike would have to market much differently with aggressive designs and ad campaigns. After years of quietly juicing the Nike Air Alpha Force<\/strong> and other high profile Force camp kicks on court, the Swoosh would make Charles the face of the Nike Air Force 180<\/strong> and Nike Air Force Max<\/strong>. Michael Jordan’s retirement in 1993 would help pave the way for a Sir Charles signature line to take flight, with the Nike Air Max CB ’94<\/strong> still standing as one of the most prolific player-backed designs ever.<\/p>\n

More known for his commentary than his on court accolades today, it’s easy to forget that Charles Barkley won an MVP award during Michael Jordan’s prime and perfected the power forward position at only six feet and six inches of height. In retro life, Marc Dolce and the Nike Sportswear team have continued to keep Chuck’s kicks relevant, reliving the most ‘come at me bro’ basketball shoes of all time.<\/p>\n

-Ian Stonebrook<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

8. LeBron James<\/h2>\n photo by Jed Jacobsohn\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n

LeBron James<\/strong> has pushed the limits of how basketball shoes are created and what technology is used. How? By simply being 6’8″ 260 pounds and one of the most freakish athletes in all of sports. With that to work with, what kind of shoe do you create for a one-of-a-kind athlete like LeBron? Over the years, King James has forced Nike to push the envelope, which is why we see so many groundbreaking elements incorporated into King James’ shoes. Whether it’s a full-length Air Max unit or a hexagonal Air unit and MegaFuse, Nike has had the daunting task of creating a shoe for the best athlete in the world for quite some time.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no denying the fact that Michael Jordan\u2019s signature shoe line changed the entire sneaker industry forever, but LeBron James’ power and athleticism may have reinvented the limits of what can be integrated into basketball shoes as a whole. His signature series is undeniably the most prominent and favorable line in the game today and definitely the largest. Nike has created for King James an impressive 12 shoes<\/strong> before the two-time NBA Champion\u2019s 30th birthday. Michael Jordan, who currently has 29 flagship signature sneakers attached to his name, had eight by the age of 30. We might be witnessing the largest signature sneaker line ever created.<\/p>\n

-George Kiel III<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

7. Allen Iverson<\/h2>\n photo via The Shoe Game<\/a>\n

There’s never the ‘next’ anyone because the ‘first’ was always just that– the first of their kind. Michael Jordan was exactly that type of icon, and by the mid-’90s everyone was looking for MJ 2.0. Sorry, not gonna happen. While rising stars across both conferences would garner similarities to his Airness thanks to swingman build, uncanny athleticism and even the same haircut, they were all just following his footsteps. Someone had to break the mold just like MJ did when he came in the league, but just the same, not like MJ at all. That someone was Allen Iverson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The braids, the tats, the kicks, the moves– this may sound like “Who We Be” by DMX but it’s not. Still, the story line brings just as much bark as Allen Iverson’s aggressive style and controversial image changed the game forever. A once in a lifetime talent, a once in existence icon, Pound for Pound had influence that couldn’t be measured by any modern day social tracking tools, changing the dress code amongst not just his fans but also his peers– a seismic shift that would eventually force the league to change the rules to retaliate. In general, AI was a classic case of coming up and making his culture mass culture. His culture was the streets and he embodied all of that with both his game and his image. Rather than be on some PC BS, Reebok fully embraced all that was Allen Iverson and sold it just the same. The Reebok Question<\/strong> proved an instant classic, rising above its golden era contemporaries and still standing as more meaningful than any model ever endorsed by his draft classmates. For the remainder of his career, the Reebok Answer<\/strong> sold in bunches and competed with any and every signature line, relying on AI’s exceptional play, Reebok’s strong design and a money marketing campaign.<\/p>\n

In today’s internet era where gossip gets more clicks than good news, it’s possible Allen Iverson will be remembered more for soundbites than highlights. He shouldn’t be. Bubba Chuck was one of the greatest players to ever play the game, giving it 110% every time he touched the floor. Even if media meddles, his shoes will continue to tell the story of the sub-6′ footer that all the big guys wanted to be like.<\/p>\n

-Ian Stonebrook<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

6. Gilbert Arenas<\/h2>\n photo by Elsa\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n

Believe it or not, Gilbert Arenas<\/strong> had a hand in creating the erratic NBA on-court footwear behavior we see today. And he impacted the NBA this way in just one season. The former Arizona Wildcat took the NBA by storm, sneaker-wise, during the 2010-2011 NBA season in which he wore a whopping 39 pairs of shoes through the first half of the season and over 60 sneakers throughout the year. Shoes we rarely see on court, such as the Air Jordan 8 Low White\/Metallic Silver<\/strong>, the FILA Grant Hill<\/strong> and the “Bin 23” Air Jordan 9<\/strong>, were worn by the Mr. Arenas during that year. He even had the audacity to bring out a $395 Dolce & Gabbana<\/strong> shoe on the hardwood in a Wizards vs. Lakers game in Los Angeles. Gilbert Arenas birthed this type of behavior, and you can clearly see his effect on the game today.<\/p>\n

-George Kiel III<\/em><\/p>\n

Tune in tomorrow as we countdown the top five Most Important Sneaker Stars in NBA History<\/strong> for our final installment of the #KOC25 series. Click here to see players 25-21, here for player 20-16, and here for players 15-11. Love the rankings? Hate the rankings? Let us know by sounding off on social media with the #KOC25<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The home stretch has begun. 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