Shoe fashion in evidence at Under-18 men’s national hoops tryout
The swoosh was everywhere.
Stitched onto shorts, printed onto T-shirts and dyed into socks. And of course, plastered on the kicks.
Of the roughly 100 people in the Olympic Training Center’s gym Wednesday for the USA men’s U18 national team training camp, nearly everyone had a fresh pair of Nike shoes, the colors of the rainbow squeaking on the freshly cleaned court.
Name a color and there’s a good chance it was printed on a pair of Nikes.
Twenty-six of the nation’s best 18-year-old basketball players are competing for spots on the 12-man roster, beginning Tuesday night and ending Thursday. Making the team is their top priority.
Fashion, however, could not be overlooked. Even Michael Porter Jr. – a known Under Armour sympathizer – had Nikes on his feet.
“It’s allowed,” Porter said of wearing non-Nike shoes. “It’s just frowned upon.”
Basketball is a money-making cultural phenomenon, propelling the basketball shoe business into a billion-dollar industry.
LeBron James recently signed a billion-dollar lifetime deal with Nike. Stephen Curry extended his Under Armour contract that will keep him with the brand through 2024. Nike, Under Armour and Adidas sponsor AAU teams and high schools, getting high school athletes involved.
Lonnie Walker, who plays for the Nike-sponsored Team Final AAU team, said he has between 50 and 60 pairs of basketball shoes. He’s a self-proclaimed “Nike guy.”
“During my high school season, my father will get me, like, two pairs of sneakers after every game,” Walker said.
Wednesday, he wore a pair or Nikes bearing the American flag.
Division I colleges are increasingly signing big-money deals with the top brands. UCLA just closed a 15-year, $280-million deal with Under Armour, the largest shoe and apparel sponsorship in NCAA history.
The cooler the apparel and shoes, the easier it is to recruit. On top of sponsoring Team USA, Nike sponsors 91 Division I athletic programs, the most for any brand in the world. The U.S. Air Force Academy agreed to a five-year contract extension with Nike on Tuesday and will remain with the brand through 2021.
Porter, the No. 4 recruit in the country, according to ESPN.com, has cut his list of potential schools down to five – four of which have Nike deals.
Do sponsorship deals matter to top recruits?
“Not on a huge level, but it carries a little bit of weight,” Porter said. “I definitely look at that.”
He also looked at the other shoes flashing up and down the court Wednesday. Porter’s friend Trae Young wore all-black KD 8’s. Markelle Fultz wore Kobe’s he got from an AAU tournament.
Brandon McCoy wore the ugliest shoes of the day, Young said, a pair of 2014 Nike Hyper Dunks.
“Ah, man,” Young said, shaking his head. “Just terrible. Just look at them.”
Curry’s new shoes, which Twitter pundits claim to appeal more to the suburban dad more than elite basketball players, have garnered hilarious ridicule on social media. Yet the overwhelming majority of the nation’s top 18-year-old players love them.
“I don’t know why everybody is joking with them,” Matt Coleman said. “What’s the problem? Curry’s are the only Under Armour shoe I’d ever wear.”
Porter owns a pair of the Under Armour Curry 2 Low’s. He said before people on Twitter destroyed the shoes’ image, he got plenty of compliments. He didn’t bring them to camp, but another pair of Under Armour shoes made its way to Colorado Springs.
Young warned Porter if he brought out non-Nike shoes during camp, there would be relentless ridicule.
Porter smiled.
“You know,” he said, looking at Young, “I might pull out some Under Armour kicks later on.”
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will.jarvis@gazettedev.gazette.com
The Team USA U18 basketball training camp at the Olympic Training Center on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette
Lonnie Walker receives the ball during the Team USA U18 basketball training camp at the Olympic Training Center on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette