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words // Nick DePaula:
As one of Nike’s longtime most celebrated athletes, Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen has worn some of the brand’s most beloved and iconic models in its basketball history, from the unmistakable Air More Uptempo to a handful of his sleekened signature looks.
In support of ESPN’s Kicks To Beat Cancer charity auction initiative, Pippen recently signed and donated five pairs from several of the most memorable chapters of his career. Highlighted by the original Air Swift, the innovative Air More Uptempo and his first three Air Pippen silhouettes, he reflected on each pair from the set of ESPN’s The Jump.
You can bid on each of Scottie Pippen’s signed signature models now on eBay through December 6th, with all proceeds benefitting The V Foundation for cancer research.
Air Swift:
“This shoe became very famous, because this is the shoe that I dunked on Patrick Ewing with. I also walked over and told Spike Lee to have a good day. [laughs] That dunk will always be something that will be high in my memory, because those shoes gave me flight.”
Air More Uptempo:
“This was a bold shoe – this was a statement shoe. I think Nike did a great job of really making a statement with this shoe. At the time, when I started wearing this shoe, I was playing some great basketball – MVP-style basketball. I was pretty confident, and I felt like the shoe complimented it well.”
Air Pippen 1:
“I’m happy that I had finally arrived. I had been sitting there for years watching Michael Jordan put out shoes, and I’m like, ‘Hello! Don’t forget about me.’ [laughs] Thanks to my guy Aaron Cooper, he did a great of designing this shoe. For those that don’t know about it, that’s the ’33’ on the side.”
Air Pippen 2:
“I was starting to really get some momentum in the shoe business. This is one of my favorites. I started liking a more sleeker looking shoe, a little more clean cut. I wanted something that you could wear on the basketball court, but also wear off the basketball court.”
Air Pippen 3:
“The thing that I didn’t like about it was that we had a short season that year. I played in Houston in this shoe, and it is one of my favorite shoes that I designed. It also has my signature engrained in here, and I love this shoe.”
