{"id":471198,"date":"2015-11-09T15:15:59","date_gmt":"2015-11-09T20:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=471198"},"modified":"2019-01-23T01:04:22","modified_gmt":"2019-01-23T06:04:22","slug":"koc25-the-25-most-important-nba-players-from-a-sneaker-standpoint-5-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/koc25-the-25-most-important-nba-players-from-a-sneaker-standpoint-5-1\/","title":{"rendered":"#KOC25 \/\/ The 25 Most Important NBA Players from a Sneaker Standpoint (5-1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Basketball is back, but who has been making waves in Kicks On Court<\/strong> since way, way back? Much like last year, we’re counting down the 25 most important NBA players ever from a sneaker standpoint. Retooled, re-listed and remastered, check out our final five picks below.<\/p>\n

5. LeBron James<\/h2>\n

all photos by Getty Images<\/a>, select via Zimbio<\/em><\/p>\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 had already created a dozen signature silos for King James\u00a0before 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

4. Penny Hardaway<\/h2>\n

He’s not a star? Somebody lied. In his prime, Penny Hardaway<\/strong> was putting buckets on Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen — in the playoffs. The slender swingman turned point guard had flash like Magic and a two-guard’s jump shot. He could boom on the best of them and break the press just the same. On the court, there was pretty much no limits to what Penny could do and who he could do it to. Even so, the majority of fans remember less about what he did and more about what he did it in.<\/p>\n

For six seasons and five signature shoes, Penny Hardaway was an often All-Star and a fixture in footwear. His four-part Nike Air Penny<\/strong> line launched some of the most memorable designs and ad campaigns ever created. As an unexpected intermission, Penny took a chance with Eric Avar on a blue-based shoe seemingly from the future. The Nike Air Foamposite One<\/strong> changed the game forever and brought a level of innovation that’s still striking today.<\/p>\n

Penny’s prime was short, but his legacy lives on forever through his sneakers. In retro life, “Orlando” themed takes on the likes of the Nike Air Go LWP<\/strong> and Nike Air Flight One<\/strong> have proven worthy of a second run based on Penny popularity alone. Even with current signature stars on the rise, the Foamposite<\/strong> franchise remains the only shoe series that can consistently compete with Air Jordans and Yeezys. In the malls or in Kicks On Court, Penny has proven to be one of the most powerful players in the sneaker game both then and now.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

3. Nick Young<\/h2>\n

all photos by Getty Images via Zimbio<\/em><\/p>\n

Never has there been a non-signature shoe athlete with a greater effect on the younger generation. Everybody wants to be like Swaggy P<\/strong>. Why you ask? First off, the charismatic and lively Los Angeles native is extremely personable and resonates with the younger generation unlike many. Secondly, the fashion-forward Young practically started a trend on the basketball court in regards to sneakers.<\/p>\n

Over the past few years, Young has shown the willingness to wear pretty much any kind of basketball shoe on the court. Not only do you see kids all over the nation choosing fashion over function, but even a number of NBA players have followed suit.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

2. Kobe Bryant<\/h2>\n

select photos via Zimbio<\/em><\/p>\n

When it comes to pushing the envelope, Kobe Bryant<\/strong> is that guy. There have been many stories about the two-time NBA scoring champion pushing Eric Avar and other Nike designers to create unparalleled Nike Basketball shoes for him, and it’s evident by his Nike Kobe signature line<\/strong>. No other signature line in the history of shoes matches the design cues and aesthetics of Kobe’s shoes. Now Avar gets a lot of the credit and then some for this, but Kobe’s desire to be the best and different from everyone has a lot to do with it as well.<\/p>\n

The fact that he came to Nike and stressed the fact that he wanted a low-top shoe was game-changing. Low-top basketball shoes weren’t accepted on court six years ago, but now they’re everywhere. Years from now (if you don’t already), we will appreciate the Black Mamba’s involvement in the design of his own shoes.<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n

1. Michael Jordan<\/h2>\n

Simply the best. While LeBron James and Kobe Bryant may contend with the G.O.A.T. in barbershop banter or made for TV debate, at the end of the day we all know Michael Jordan<\/strong> was the greatest to ever lace them up. Could said stars surpass his Airness one day? Anything’s possible, but we’re still putting our money on Money.<\/p>\n

To go through Michael Jordan’s career accolades or signature series in detail would be long-winded and never quite all encompassing. We all know about the six NBA Championships, we all know about the\u00a0Air Jordan 1<\/strong> getting banned, we’ve all seen the Air Jordan 3<\/strong> take off from the free-throw line and we all recognize the Air Jordan 11<\/strong> as the most popular basketball shoe ever created. We know, we know, we know.<\/p>\n

And still, while we all know every highlight by heart and every shoe down to the last detail, we still can’t get enough. Even over a decade past his final retirement, one could argue that the Air Jordan signature series is in the prime of its popularity. Off the court, grown men still get goosebumps when putting on a pair of Mikes while toddlers who can’t yet tie their shoes are pushed around in strollers wearing the work of Tinker Hatfield.<\/p>\n

Though labeled a lifestyle brand by many in 2015, there’s no downplaying the popularity of Air Jordans on court. This trend even proves true on the NBA hardwood. Millionaire athletes who are playing for their paycheck would rather rock retros than put their money on the latest performance pair. Kobe, LeBron and KD may be catching\u00a0up by some measures, but at the end of the day everybody still wants to be like Mike.<\/p>\n

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

Who was ranked too high? Who was ranked to low? Let us know on social media by using the hashtag #KOC25<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Basketball is back, but who has been making waves in Kicks On Court since way, way back? Much like last…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4667,"featured_media":471200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[835],"tags":[1226214,1225587,1225551],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n#KOC25 \/\/ The 25 Most Important NBA Players from a Sneaker Standpoint (5-1) | Snkrs Day<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Where to buy #KOC25 \/\/ The 25 Most Important NBA Players from a Sneaker Standpoint (5-1) shoes. 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