With the recent news of Allen Iverson returning to the NBA and to Philly, we thought it was only appropriate to shine the spotlight on one of his greatest sneakers - the Reebok Answer.

The question was answered in 1997 when he was crowned the NBA Rookie of the Year after a phenomenal debut season. This shoe, The Answer, would be the start of the longest running signature series in the history of basketball footwear besides the Air Jordan line.

The Reebok Answer was the premier shoe in Reebok’s basketball lineup when it was released in the fall of 1997 featuring the latest 10-pod DMX cushioning. Wearing the shoe was unlike any other experience as the encapsulated air would flow from heel to toe and back as you walked in the shoes. In addition to the DMX tech, the shoes featured a super soft insole with an added shock pad in the heel for even more cushioning.

The Reebok Answer I came was released in a total of 4 colors between the fall of 1997 to the spring of 1998. This pair featured to the right was the debut colorway featuring a Black/White/Gold colorway and was re-released in 2007 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the shoe. Click here to have another look at the Reebok Answer I.

Behind the Reebok Pump was not only a unique and revolutionary design, but also an aggressive marketing campaign. Reebok went head on with print and television ads with industry leader Nike with memorable lines that included “Pump Up, Air Out.”

The highlight of the shoe’s moment in history happened All Star weekend in Miami when Dominique Wilkins wore the Reebok Pump as he threw down for his second Slam Dunk crown.

Each of the 20 stores in the Pump 20 campaign will sell their own versions of the Reebok Pump to the tune of 31 pairs per door this weekend, but each door will also have 29 pairs available of the original White/Blue colorways as well as this one, in Black/White/Orange.

It all started at one.

Next year Jordan Brand will celebrate an unprecedented 25th anniversary of the Air Jordan series of shoes.  Earlier today we all caught a glimpse of the upcoming Air Jordan 2010, but for this Throwback Thursday, I thought it was an appropriate time to rewind things back to where it all began - the Nike Air Jordan 1.

Coming out of school Michael Jordan had tons of buzz surrounding him from his play at NC, to his Olympic Gold in the summer of ‘84, but the minute Jordan’s shoes were banned by the NBA, buzz for much more than just Mike was generated.  Though the shoes that technically were banned by the NBA were the Black/Red Nike Air Ships that MJ wore for the first part of his rookie year, the Nike Air Jordan 1’s were at the focal point of an extremely creative campaign by Nike.

As you know, the Air Jordan line has changed tremendously since the beginning, but sometimes there is nothing better than the original.

Click here to check out the top recent releases that are the best in black.

Improving on the fit of the Flight Lite, the shoes returned with the same lightweight and comfortable cushioning, but a stripped down and better fitting Huarache style inner sock.  This colorway was worn by Lakers great A.C. Green in the 1991-92 season, but has not been seen since.  Check out more pics after the break.

Jordan Brand gave us a little taste of blue VIs in 2000 when the shoe released in White/Midnight Navy, but I am pretty sure that after almost 19 years this one is ready for return?

If JB brought back the Sport Blue Jordan VI would they be a purchase or pass?  Leave your thoughts after the break.

This particular model debuted in the retailers this month; however, we first spotted it during the 2009-2010 NBA season, namely on Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich’s feet. Obviously, the aforementioned Weapon was one of the better basketball sneakers of the 80s; yet, can the Weapon EVO be one of Converse’s standout sneakers for the latter part of the 2000’s? With that said, we put the Weapon EVO through multiple performance tests to see how it would respond. Click here to view its grade plus the various colorways it has recently released in.