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Dwight Freeney and Generation Esports are teaming up for a one-of-a-kind Madden tournament that features some exclusive kicks as the grand prize. 3rd N Long brings together Freeney’s passion for gaming along with his notable Jumpman ties to give players an opportunity to show their skills and even win some custom Air Jordan heat.
In addition to bragging rights, 8 competitors will receive a custom, unreleased Air Jordan 1 for the top 4 players for both Xbox One and Playstation 4 competitions. The custom pair is set to be revealed within the next few weeks.
We had the chance to chop it up with Freeney about the tournament, the custom AJ1, and more. Read what he had to say below, and be sure to head over to 3rd N Long to learn all of the details.
Nice Kicks: You were one of the first to help establish Jordan Brand on the gridiron, do you feel that you’re now helping bridge the gap between JB and esports?
Dwight Freeney: Yeah, I was one of the first to establish Jordan Brand in football. It would be really cool and really unique to establish that connection with Jordan Brand in the eSports world as well. I’m a gamer from back in the day. It would be a cool thing if I could help bring JB into the gaming world.
NK: Some of your most memorable PEs have been the Air Jordan 3 and the Air Jordan 6. Are there any other models or specific colorways that have been your favorites?
Dwight Freeney: My favorite pair outside of the Air Jordan 3s are the Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam.” The way it’s designed and how comfortable that shoe is, is amazing.
NK: The tournament is giving competitors a chance for some limited AJ1s customized by the Jumpman team. How did that come about and was it easy getting Michael’s blessing on this?
Dwight Freeney: Getting MJ’s blessing surprisingly enough was easier than I thought it was going to be. I did know that he had some history in the eSports world.
When I’m asking him for a favor, I’m asking him to go into the realm of a thing he used to do or was involved in today. It made sense for Jordan Brand to make a bigger footprint in the eSports world.
NK: Talk to us about the design of the custom pair. Who all had a hand in the design process?
Dwight Freeney: We had about 30 different options on what we were going to do. My team and I came up with a unique way to design these Jordans and make them authentic to Jordan Brand. I did something very tasteful with my team and Jordan Brand’s help.
NK: Who would be better – you playing basketball or MJ playing football?
Dwight Freeney: I think I would be better at basketball depending on the position. If I had to play shooting guard and he had to play defensive end, I’m definitely giving the nod to me. If he was a kicker or a snapper or even a receiver, I’d give him a nod.
NK: What inspired you to start the 3rd N Long tournament?
Dwight Freeney: I have a deep love for gaming; I always have. It was my second love outside of sports. It’s all about competition for me; always has been, always will be.
If I wasn’t competing outside with the fellas whether football, basketball, baseball, I was inside competing on Madden and 2K, or Street Fighter, or Mortal Kombat. It was just about competing.
NK: Will we see the tournament become an annual tradition?
Dwight Freeney: Hopefully, this can be a yearly thing. Hopefully, the pandemic doesn’t last forever. If it does last longer than we’d like, hopefully, this is something we can continue to do every year to get together. It’s about building communities, even in eSports.
NK: Will we see any current NFL’ers that are heavy into gaming participate?
Dwight Freeney: You’re definitely going to see some current NFL players participate. Maybe even some retired. Maybe even some current NBA players. We’re going to try to get as many people involved in this tournament as possible. Make it unique.
NK: Which team is your go-to Madden squad?
Dwight Freeney: I have to go with the Colts. I know them in and out. I follow those guys. They’re a very balanced team this year. They don’t have many weaknesses on their team. It makes it fair.
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