Over the years, NBA players have used their shoes for much more than performance. Tribute messages, celebratory acknowledgements and political stands have been incorporated on game-worn sneakers as a means of showing the world that they care about much more than basketball. Today, we take a look back at 10 of the NBA’s most memorable celebratory and tribute messages\u00a0on shoes.<\/p>\n
RELATED<\/strong>: Kicks On Court: Chris Paul Pays Tribute to 13-Year-Old Fan’s Late Mother with Shoes<\/p>\n Between Election Day 2008 and President Barack Obama’s official inauguration, various players around the league, like Chris Paul, LeBron James and David West, showed their support by writing\u00a0sharpied messages on their player exclusives. The majority of the sharpied scripts simply featured the president’s last name on the toe area.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Towards the end of 2013-2014 NBA season Phoenix Suns center Alex Len took to the court with the hashtag #PrayforUkraine on his shoes in reference to a\u00a0situation in his homeland of Ukraine. The situation was\u00a0political battle that involved former\u00a0Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and his government rejecting a deal with the European Union in favor of strengthening ties with Russia, which led to mass protests that came to the nation\u2019s capital Kiev.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In an anticipated return from injury during the 2013-2014 NBA season, Russell Westbrook wore a\u00a0white and black Air Jordan XX8 SE PE that came complete with pink laces and an imprinted message on the outsole that read, “HAPPY BDAY MOM.” Westbrook also added, “Happy B-Day Mom…Why Not?” using a sharpie on the toe area.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just five days after the Boston Marathon bombings, Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green used a sharpie to incorporate the supportive hashtag #BostonStrong on his pair of Nike Hyperaggressor player exclusive sneakers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In motivational fashion, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry frequently writes, “I can do all things…” on the toe box of his game-worn basketball shoes. The quote is a piece of a Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, which fully reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the night of the one-year anniversary of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting at Sandy Hook,\u00a0Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond opted to bring awareness and remembrance through his sneakers. The names of all 26 victims involved in the Sandy Hook shooting graced Drummond’s “Old Royal” Air Jordan 10s on the special night in which they played against the Portland Trail Blazers. The former UCONN Husky also gave\u00a0his game-worn jersey to the school.<\/p>\n Also in remembrance of the late victims, Kevin Durant honored the children by writing “Newtown, CT” on his “Home” Nike KD Vs\u00a0just one night after the shooting occurred.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This past\u00a0Wednesday in Detroit, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul paid tribute to Lisa Elaine Gallagher, a mother and former high school basketball player who, last month, lost her battle with brain cancer. Lisa’s son, Jack, was part of a tribute video posted this month on Twitter and in it Jack placed a pair of Jordan CP3.VIIIs that his mother had given him on her grave.\u00a0Chris Paul heard about the story, contacted the Gallaghers who live in Pennsylvania, and made arrangements for Jack and his family to travel to Auburn Hills for a Clippers game against the Detroit Pistons. In the game, Chris wore a pair of red, white and blue Jordan CP3.VIIIs with Lisa’s initials, L.E.G., on the toe box.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2012, the Golden State Warriors celebrated 50 straight sellouts at Oracle Arena during a\u00a0Western Conference Semifinals game against the\u00a0San Antonio Spurs. Warriors forward Draymond Green commemorated the feat with his Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier VII iD\u00a0by writing, “50 Straight. Thx Fans. Dub Nation” on the sides of his shoe. The capacity crowd of 19,596 made it 50 consecutive homes games, the team\u2019s longest sellout streak in 17 years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bella Rodriguez-Torres, a South Florida girl who was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the tender age of four in 2007, lost her battle in May of 2013 – six years after being diagnosed. Throughout her battle, she\u00a0developed a huge following on social media and eventually published a website and book (“Why Not Me”) written by her father, Raymond.\u00a0Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade took notice and paid tribute to Rodriguez-Torres by writing #LiveLikeBella on the sneakers they wore for Game Four of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In 2012, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade laced up their respective signature sneakers at the time with an honorary messages of support for Trayvon Martin. Wade’s debut of the Jordan Wade Flight PO featured the words, “RIP Trayvon Martin” and “We Want Justice”, while King James’ Nike LeBron 9 Red\/Black PE particularly featured the former message. To show additional support,\u00a0the Miami Heat took a team portrait, which sees the entire roster draped in hoodies in reference to the sweatshirt Trayvon wore on the night of this happening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sacramento Kings guard Ben Mclemore, who used to live 15 minutes from Ferguson, Missouri, wrote \u201cR.I.P. MIKE BROWN\u201d on his sneakers during a recent Kings game against the Memphis Grizzlies. <\/p>\n Read more here: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the years, NBA players have used their shoes for much more than performance. Tribute messages, celebratory acknowledgements and political…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":418223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[835,2,1219126],"tags":[1225551],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNBA Players Show Support for President Obama in 2008<\/h1>\n
Alex Len Takes to Court with #PrayForUkraine on Shoes<\/h1>\n
Russell Westbrook Says “Happy Birthday, Mom” on Jordan PEs<\/h1>\n
Jeff Green Pays Tribute to Marathon Bombing Victims<\/h1>\n
Stephen Curry Writes “I can do all things..” Regularly on his Shoes<\/h1>\n
Andre Drummond and Kevin Durant Honor Sandy Hook Victims<\/h1>\n
Chris Paul Pays Tribute to 13-Year-Old Fan’s Late Mother<\/h1>\n
Draymond Green Celebrates 50 Straight Sellouts at Oracle Arena<\/h1>\n
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade Honor 10-Year-Old Cancer Victim<\/h1>\n
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade Honor Trayvon Martin with Shoes<\/h1>\n
Bonus: Ben Mclemore Uses Shoes to Make Ferguson Statement<\/h1>\n