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Every decade brings about a shift of some sort in the NBA and in sneakers. During the ’80s, we witnessed the then-popular Converse Weapon being advertised by the two greatest players of that decade, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Over the course of the ’90s, Michael Jordan’s footwear and other signature lines reigned. The team shoe stood out in the early 2000s, and the mid-to-late parts of that decade saw the rise and birth of signature lines from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and others. Each decade has steadily increased the awareness of footwear in the NBA, and in addition to the footwear brands, there are a number of individuals who deserve the credit.
Throughout the course of this week, follow us through The Most Important Sneaker Stars in NBA History.
Note: Each day this week, we will unveil five player until we reach #1 on Friday. Weigh in on our list by using the hashtag #KOC25 on your respective social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram.
25. Rasheed Wallace
photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images via ZimbioRocking retros to hoop in may be the norm in 2014, but it wasn’t during the 1990s, or even the 2000s for that matter. Leave it to Rasheed Wallace to break the rules. After an All-American campaign in Chapel Hill, #30 stepped onto the hardwood of the nation’s capital in all-black Nike Air Force 1 Highs. The rest? History.
Mostly avoiding the forward-thinking Air Max and Zoom Air assisted models that his contemporaries would push, Sheed started sporting Air Force 1s consistently on court around the 1999 season. A trend-hopper? Nah, this was three years before Nelly would make them splash on radio and 17 years after they originally released. Perhaps it was being an old soul or maybe it was lockout angst, but the Portland power forward would ditch performance pairs and essentially make the Air Force 1 his own. Nike would soon follow suit, releasing rare renditions with Sheed branding and team themed color combos.
Even as a veteran with the New York Knicks, Sheed still made Kicks On Court headlines by breaking out suede PEs in the Garden. He remained relevant in retail, too, launching Lunarlon Forces in NYC colorways. While footwear fads come and go, Rasheed Wallace not only endorsed a retro model over the course of his career, he also embodied it by being the grizzly guy at the gym who knew what he liked and stuck to it.
-Ian Stonebrook
