{"id":497247,"date":"2016-05-17T13:14:33","date_gmt":"2016-05-17T17:14:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=497247"},"modified":"2022-09-12T13:02:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T18:02:11","slug":"chronological-history-point-guards-signatures-shoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/chronological-history-point-guards-signatures-shoes\/","title":{"rendered":"A Chronological History of Point Guards With Signature Shoes"},"content":{"rendered":"
Running the point is the best job in basketball. The 1 spot has long been the most coveted position on the court, with a new generation of talent redefining its role. With players like Stephen Curry<\/strong>, Russell Westbrook<\/strong> and\u00a0Kyrie Irving<\/strong>\u00a0receiving sneakers of their own namesake\u00a0in the past few seasons, we take a chronological look at all the point guards to ever score a signature shoe deal.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1950s In some respects the first signature star in pro basketball, Bob Cousy became the spokesman for P.F Flyers and thus a pioneer in the sports marketing industry. The Houdini of the Hardwood definitely had the flash and the stats to sell shoes. Throwing behind the back passes when Leave It to Beaver<\/em> was on, he racked up 6 rings and 13 All-Star Game selections during his playing days (pretty close to MJ’s 6 and 14). A civil rights activist and just all around likable guy, Cousy sold sneakers while hooping in the league, with P.F even bringing out some retro releases since.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1970s As a member of the “Rolls Royce Backourt” with Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Walt “Clyde” Frazier became a legend in New York City and a household name across the country. A dealer on the court (Clyde still holds the Knicks franchise record for career assists) and dapper off of it, the two worlds collided when PUMA released his Clyde signature sneaker. Coming off the heels of his first championship in 1973, the model maintained the ethos of the Suede while gaining major cool points off Frazier’s name.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1989, 1993-95<\/a> When people think of FILA basketball shoes, the fist name that comes to mind is Grant Hill. Years before G-Hill was getting triple-doubles in Detroit, Kevin Johnson was the face of FILA in Phoenix. His first signature shoe, the KJ7, was actually brought back in 2013\u00a0as a philanthropic initiative<\/a> between FILA, KJ and the city of Sacramento where Johnson serves as mayor. After his stint with FILA, Kevin Johnson was the marquee endorser for the Converse Run n Slam and Pandemomium silos.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1990-1992 Though best associated with the Weapon, Magic Johnson did have a number of signatures shoes with Converse. Releasing during the early 90s, the appropriately titled Magic models saw everything from era-inspired\u00a0LA flair<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Dream Team<\/a> patriotism. In hindsight, the line reads a little like Converse trying to catch up to the times and the industry shift that was Air Jordan. Still, the shoes have some cool factor with the era-appropriate aesthetic and endorsement<\/a> of the smiling PG. A man of many business ventures, it should be noted too that in Magic’s retirement he launched his own brand of sneakers and sportswear.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1992<\/a> The same GEL cushioning you love in your runners and your Ronnies was featured in the signature shoe of Isiah Thomas. The ASICS Gel Spotlyte was a little lackluster on the detailing, but did outfit the prominent Pistons point guard. In recent years, the model has returned as a retro.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1995-1998, 2012-Present Did Penny Hardaway arrive during the signature sneaker boom of the mid 1990s or did he help create it? Bolstering a strong Nike Basketball roster that placed Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and few other’s names on shoes, Anfernee saw his nickname, number and logo grace his very own signature shoe in 1995. To say the rest was history would be an understatement, as the slender, 6’7 point guard still sell shoes of his namesake even years after his retirement.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1996, 2000 To some basketball fans, Jason Kidd is the consummate point guard. A pass first floor general, Jason Kidd split co-Rookie of the Year honors with the ultra-popular Grant Hill in 1995 while he sliced defenses with his imaginative skill-set. Much like Penny, J Kidd juiced the marquee models for the Flight Camp before seeing his own name on a shoe. The Nike Air Zoom Flight V saw exactly that, placing Zoom Air beneath the fast feet of the speedy point guard and personalized logo work on his first signature. Years later when playing MVP caliber ball for New Jersey, Nike would release his second and last Swooshed signatue with the Morph Skin-sporting Nike Air Zoom Kidd. In later years, he would rock with PEAK for a stretch that would also see signatures of his namesake.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1996-2015 Notice a trend on this list? The majority of 1s so far all also wear the ‘big guard’ tagging. In 1996, Allen Iverson changed all that, proving players in the 6 foot and under club could sell sneakers with the best of him. Winning Rookie of the Year honors in a class that included Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash and countless other stars, AI proved to be the diamond of diamonds early on in his career, setting scoring records and igniting the city of Philadelphia. If you want to read the whole spiel on how much we love Bubba Chuck click here, but just know that from the Reebok Question to the Answer VI, AI was the hottest sneaker star in the league. Believe that.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1996-1997, 2006-Present After Anderson but before Bassy, Stephon Marbury was the premier prep point guard out of New York. One of the original one-and-dones, Marbury took home Third Team All-American honors in his lone season at Georgia Tech and bounced to the pros where Milwaukee would select him and trade him on draft day to the T’Wolves for fellow future star Ray Allen. Already a household name by fans of hoops in NYC, streetball startup AND1 would sign Marbury to be their first signature athlete. The AND1 Marbury would be the brand’s first shoe on the market, with a follow-up<\/a> coming in his sophomore season. Marbury eventually dipped to Nike, returned to AND1, went back to Nike and then started his price conscious Starbury line which is still sold today<\/a>.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1998-2002 After checking MJ in the ’96 Finals, Gary Payton’s star started to grow considerably far past the West Coast. After many successful years on the Flight Camp, Nike gifted GP with the aptly named Nike Air Zoom Flight 98 The Glove at the ripe age of 30. Following the shoe’s success, Gary got four more signature models from the Alpha Project, all very experimental in design. While The Glove has come back to rave reviews, we’re still waiting on the rest of the best from GP.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1998 Much like The Glove, Tim Hardaway would see a signature shoe far after he burst on the scene. While the Miami PG is often associated with the Air Bakin and Afterburner, the Nike Air Zoom T-Bug Flight was his first and only signature shoe. Ironically, the model was seldom worn on court by Timmy, but still a sick shoe thanks to its zip-up closure and exposed Monkey Paw.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 1999 Buzz for the WNBA was high back in 1999 and the Charlotte Sting had a star on their hands with point guard Dawn Staley. Nike laced the Philly product with the still sleek Nike Air Zoom S5<\/a> along with the shoe’s lesser sequel in ’99. This era was a boom for women’s basketball on the sneaker front, as fellow Swoosh stars Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper and Lisa Leslie would also see sigs around that time.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2000-2002 The Reebok Wink DMX<\/a> was the first signature shoe for Steve Francis. While some young fans only remember Stevie Franchise from his twilight years in the league, he was amazing during his early days with the Rockets. The 2000 NBA Rookie of the Year and a back-to-back-to-back All-Star, the explosive point guard had streetball handles and trampoline hops. While the Wink still registers as a cult classic amongst Franchise fans, the X-Beam was his most notable shoe.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2002 Streetball was red-hot during the early 2000s and as far as NBA fans were concerned, Rafer Alston was the people’s champ. After becoming an NYC legend on the asphalt as a teenager, Rafer played for Tark out on the other coast at Fresno State and even scored himself a SLAM cover. After Y2K, he was starting to gain traction in the L and AND1 mixtapes were selling out of barbershops and Foot Locker stores alike. The AND1 Skip 2 My Lou served as his signature shoe, taking cues from the Tai Chi. Rafer wore the shoe with the Golden State Warriors and on the AND1 Mixtape Tour.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2006-2008 Hibachi, Hibachi, Hibachi, Gilbert Arenas was cooking the competition during the mid-2000s. Known for hitting game-winning shots and playing Halo until the wee hours of the morning, The Three Stripes gifted Gilbert Arenas with two signature shoes, the adidas Gil Zero and adidas Gil II Zero. Each model saw collab colorways and catered to his fast game. Gil and adidas parted ways, with Agent O eventually becoming a pioneer of the modern Kicks On Court retro-laden landscape we see today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2008-Present After starting his career with the Swoosh, Chris Paul made history of sorts by becoming the first point guard on Jordan Brand to get a signature shoe. The Jordan CP3 line has launched many models, paying respect to the Jordan Brand lineage and CP3’s personal life alike. From New Orleans to Los Angeles, the shoe’s have showed nods to his place of play all while packing performance driven design.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2008-2009 Showing nods to his accolades and perhaps a Nelly Furtado lyric, the Nike Zoom MVP was the first and only signature shoe for Steve Nash. Though lucky number 13 had endorsed a number of low-cut Swooshed sneakers on the court, the MVP was the first to be designed with him in mind and rely mainly on color blocking inspired by his Suns.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2009-12 Baron Davis bounced around between Reebok and Nike early on in his career, but eventually became the face of Li-Ning. Playing point guard for the Clippers before Chris Paul made it cool and lacing up Li-Ning before Wade did, B Diddy would become a signature endorser for the Chinese brand. The Li-Ning BD Doom and BD Defend both rocked the “Beardman” logo and even came out in some impressive lifestyle colorways, namely a “Dodgers” do-up. Even more impressive is that the shoes released Stateside, with the Snkrs Day Shop in Austin, TX being one of the first US stores to stock the model.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2010-12 After a flash filled career at Oak Hill Academy, Brandon Jennings made all types of history by forgoing his freshman year at Arizona to play professionally overseas, all while becoming the first basketball endorser for Under Armour. After a year in Roma and a promising rookie season, Under Armour released the Black Ice to pretty solid reviews. The clean design was followed up by the lower profile Micro G Bloodline, with BJ now showing out in the marquee models for the brand with no signature tagging.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2010-Present After winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2009, adidas presented Derrick Rose with his first of five signature shoes in 2010. With his line designed mostly under the direction of Robbie Fuller, the D Rose collection has spawned numerous spinoff signatures, team models and casual kicks. As of now, Derrick Rose tied with\u00a0Tracy McGrady as the longest running signature hooper in adidas history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2012-Present If it seems like there was a long stretch between point guards getting signature shoes, that’s because there was. With most brands focusing on their heavy hitters, a plethora of players bolted to Chinese companies for bigger paychecks and shoes with their name on it. Tony Parker, Kyle Lowry and George Hill have all received sigs with PEAK, though Lowry is now with adidas. After rocking Reeboks and Nikes early on in his career, Rajon Rondo now has signature shoes from Anta.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2014-2015 After making the move to adidas from Reebok and rising in the ranks of NBA PG elite, John Wall became a signature athlete in 2014. The adidas J Wall 1 and J Wall 2 were worn on-court by Wall and others during their release tenure, however the DC PG decided to bolt from The Three Stripes and his shoe line during the second model’s run.<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> 2014-Present Kyrie Irving has had one of the more commercially successful signature lines as of late. The Nike Kyrie 1 and Kyrie 2 have taken well to fans thanks to both models’ ability to color block well and sell for a reasonable price. Killer crossovers from their namesake endorser have helped, too.<\/p>\nBob Cousy<\/h2>\n photo via Legendary Auctions\n
\nShoe:<\/strong> P.F Canvas<\/p>\nClyde Frazier<\/h2>\n photo via ProHoopsHistory<\/a>\n
\nShoe:<\/strong> PUMA Clyde<\/p>\nKevin Johnson<\/h2>\n photo by by Corky Trewin<\/a>\n
\nShoe:<\/strong> FILA KJ7, Converse Run n Slam, Converse Pandemonium<\/p>\nMagic Johnson<\/h2>\n photo by Manny Millan via SI Vault<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Converse Magic, Converse Magic II, Converse Magic USA<\/p>\nIsiah Thomas<\/h2>\n photo via The Waiver Wire<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> ASICS Gel Spotlyte<\/p>\nPenny Hardaway<\/h2>\n photo via Nike Basketball<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Air Penny I-V, Nike Air Foamposite One, Various Retro Hybrids<\/p>\nJason Kidd<\/h2>\n photo via Sole Collector<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Air Zoom Flight V, Nike Air Zoom Kidd<\/p>\nAllen Iverson<\/h2>\n photo via The Shoe Game<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Reebok Question I-III, Reebok Answer 1-14<\/p>\nStephon Marbury<\/h2>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> AND1 Marbury I & II, Starbury line<\/p>\nGary Payton<\/h2>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Air Zoom Flight 98 The Glove, Nike Air Zoom GP-Air Payton IV<\/p>\nTim Hardaway<\/h2>\n photo via Eastbay Blog<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Air Zoom T-Bug Flight<\/p>\nDawn Staley<\/h2>\n image via Gallery Hip<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Air Zoom S5, Nike Air S5 II<\/p>\nSteve Francis<\/h2>\n photo via ESPN<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Reebok Wink DMX, Reebok X-Beam<\/p>\nRafer Alston<\/h2>\n photo via Qayyum Zainol<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> AND1 Skip 2 My Lou<\/p>\nGilbert Arenas<\/h2>\n photo by John W. McDonough via Sportige<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> adidas Gil Zero, adidas Gil II Zero<\/p>\nChris Paul<\/h2>\n photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Jordan CP3-Jordan CP3.IX<\/p>\nSteve Nash<\/h2>\n photo by Jed Jacobsohn\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Zoom MVP<\/p>\nBaron Davis<\/h2>\n photo by Stephen Dunn\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Li-Ning BD Doom, Li-Ning BD Defend<\/p>\nBrandon Jennings<\/h2>\n photo by Kevork Djansezian\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Under Armour Black Ice, Under Armour Micro G Bloodline<\/p>\nDerrick Rose<\/h2>\n photo by Jonathan Daniel\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> adidas D Rose 1-6<\/p>\nTony Parker\/Kyle Lowry\/George Hill\/Rajon Rondo<\/h2>\n photos via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> PEAK Signature Models, Anta Rondo Models<\/p>\nJohn Wall<\/h2>\n photo by Jason Miller\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> adidas J Wall 1, adidas J Wall 2<\/p>\nKyrie Irving<\/h2>\n photo by Elsa\/Getty Images via Zimbio<\/a>\n
\nShoes:<\/strong> Nike Kyrie 1, Nike Kyrie 2<\/p>\nStephen Curry<\/h2>\n