And1 Germany’s “Mr. Hangtime” wins German BBL All Star Game Dunk Contest in Empire Mids

[Streetball’s Finest  – 1.28.12] – And1 Germany’s “Mr. Hangtime” wins German BBL All Star Game Dunk Contest in Empire Mids

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 

Images: Salu Benjamin Tadi (Mr. Hangtime – via Facebook) and Laurent Burkart (And1 Germany Facebook fanpage) and Munich Times (via TMT Sports)

When I think of Eurobasket, my mind is immediately filled with images of long-range shooting bigs with excellent passing ability.  With that line of thought, my knowledge about German basketball is quite limited to Germany’s Finest, their premiere spot for everything streetball in that part of the world (shout-outs to Paul Gudde) and Dirk Nowitzki, the sweet-shooting forward for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA (NBA Finals MVP 2011).  I haven’t really imagined a slam-dunking player from Deutscheland for that matter..so I consider myself schooled by Salu Benjamin Tadi (reppin’ And1 Germany as an official endorser since 2011).

Salu, as he is affectionately called in Germany, is also known as Mr. Hangtime.  He recently won the Beku BBL All Star Game Dunk Contest in a pair of And1 Empire Mids (Black/Gold) last January 21, 2012 in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart.  Competing in a field of 40 (yep, that’s forty dunkers right there), Mr. Hangtime bested 29 other amateurs and 10 professionals in this annual event (including his foremost rival, Tony Gaffney of Telekom Basket Bonn and a former player of the NBA’s Boston Celtics).  Check out the images and videos below: 

All Star Dunk Contest Winner 2012 Salu Benjamin Tadi from AND1 Germany on Vimeo.


Standing at just 6’1” and tipping the scales at a lean 207 lbs, this Munich-based high-flyer boasts of a 42-inch vert (I’d love to see him and Nate Robinson go at it in an international dunk off, seriously).  Salu is also no stranger to showcasing his amazing leaping ability, having already won the Red Bull Slam Dunk contest also in Germany last year.

When asked about his preparations for the 2012 BBL Dunk Contest, Salu replied via email “I trained 5-6 times a week (2 hours for fitness/weights) and 3-4 times a week playing basketball in nearby gyms (spending 2-3 hours with dunk practices.)”  He adds “..at the moment we are working on some special dunks like 360-degrees between the legs or dunking over a car.”

Big thanks to my contact, Laurent Burkart for the news and exclusive images through the And1 Germany Facebook page.  Laurent works for the Marketing and Sales team of And1 Germany and manages their social networking sites (And1 Germany in Facebook), as well as coordinating with team players while handling events, publicity and promotions.  Would also like to thank the Munich Times and TalkBasket.Net for additional details that I used for this article. 

Video courtesy of BekoBBL, shared by TalkBasket.Net

For feedback and suggestions, please send us an email at and1pinas@gmail.com.  Please also check out and LIKE our Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/and1ph) and follow us on Twitter (@and1ph).  We Flips show love to our global counterparts (hence the S/O to And1 Germany), but we also provide the latest updates about the And1 brand in the Philippines.  And that’s the 411, And Juan!

John “Helicopter” Humphrey wins bj-League (Japan) ASG Dunk Contest in And1 Empire Mids

[Streetball’s Finest  – 1.26.12] – John “Helicopter” Humphrey wins bj-League (Japan) ASG Dunk Contest in And1 Empire Mids

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 

Images: Joe Kawai (And1 Japan) and bj-League (via Facebook fanpage and official website)

Former And1 Mixtape sensation and current Saitama Broncos All Star John “Helicopter” Humphrey recently won the bj-League ASG Dunk Contest last January 15, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena.  Rocking specially made And1 Empire Mids (Black/Green colorway), Helicopter electrified the crowd, numbering at 14,011, with an array of between-the-legs dunks and windmills to take home his first-ever slam dunk crown.

Helicopter receiving his dunk contest award (the girl is wearing a non-locally released And1 Sabotage Mid in Black/Yellow).

For those who are not familiar with the bj-League in Japan, it is their equivalent to our local PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) and is a professional basketball league established in the 2005-2006 season.  Helicopter went up against 5 other contestants namely: Ray Nixon (Shiga-Lakestars), Brian Harper(Toyama-Grouses), Justin Burrell (Yokohama B-Corsairs), Yoshihiro Tachibana (Sendai-89ers), and Edward Morris (Shinsyu-Brave Warriors).  Aside from Helicopter, two other contestants also wore And1s during the contest, Tachibana (Empire Mid, Black/Gold) and Morris (Tai-chi Mid, Black/Silver).

Humphrey garnered a masterful 50 points on his final round to edge his closest rival, Ray Nixon (who only managed 42 points).  Check out the video posted below for Helicopter’s performance and I’ve also included some more pictures of Helicopter’s Empire Mid kicks used during the ASG festivities.

It is also worth noting that Humphrey also played in the All Star Game after winning the dunk contest, and despite his East team losing to the West, (120-93 Final), he also took home the Most Impressive Player award, given to the best player of the losing team.  The high-flying forward scored 21 points and punctuated his performance with 2 slam dunks during the game.  He wore a different pair of Empire Mids this time around, switching to a Gold/Gold/Black CW, with “Helicopter” and “35” (Helicopter’s jersey number) etched on the each heel.  Peep the images below.

For more news about And1 both locally (Philippines) and internationally, check us out in Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph) and on Twitter (@and1ph).  Big thanks to Joe Kawai of And1 Japan (@and1_jp on Twitter) for the images and information that he passed along, and to the JapanTimes and Jumpshot.Sg sites for their own published articles which served as additional references for this blogpost.  

And that’s the 411, And Juan!

More images of upcoming 2012 And1 footwear are showing up online

[Shoe News – 1.24.12] – More images of upcoming 2012 And1 footwear are showing up online

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: And1 Spain (official website), And1 Australia (via Twitter), And1 Brasil (via Facebook), Taobao.com (Chinese auction site), Rakuten.jp, and other various sources

I’ve done some random searches for 2012 And1 footwear for the last two weeks (you know, just to see if there are new stuff to be released soon) and I’ve been quite impressed with the image results that I’ve come across.

So to save you all the trouble of finding these images by yourselves, I’ve collected and posted them in the And1 Ph official Facebook fanpage and have re-hosted some pictures below.  Since different shoe models come in various colorways, I’m just posting one colorway per silhouette and will just leave it to you to visit (and LIKE) our FB fanpage for the rest of the images.

Speaking of sneak previews, I’ve posted an article about And1 Fukuoka’s (Japan) official website and online post with sneak previews [click HERE to read it].  A few days ago, And1 Australia also posted their own sneak preview via Twitter (@and1australia).  And their respective Facebook pages, And1 Brasil and And1 Taiwan have shared a couple of images of new kicks as well.

As I’ve mentioned, check out more images of 2012 sneak-er previews via our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/and1ph.  For now, enjoy the images I’ve shared below.  ONE!

And1 Reign Mid - Image courtesy of And1 Spain (http://www.and1.es/)
Black/Purple/Purple

And1 Release Mid - Image courtesy of And1 Spain (http://www.and1.es/)
New colorway - White/Navy/Silver

 And1 Rocket 2.0 - Image courtesy of And1 Spain (http://www.and1.es/)

New colorway - White/White/Varsity Red

And1 Ultra Lyte Low - Image courtesy of And1 Spain (http://www.and1.es/)

Dark Grey/Cement/Nasty Green

And1 Elev8 Mid

 And1 Reign Mid

 And1 Cre8 TOR Mid - Image courtesy of And1 Spain (http://www.and1.es/)

Black/Varsity Red/White

And1 Fukuoka (Japan) posts images of some upcoming 2012 footwear

[Shoe News – 1.20.12] – And1 Fukuoka (Japan) posts images of some upcoming 2012 footwear

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: And1 Fukuoka

Posted earlier today in the And1 Fukuoka webpage were images of upcoming And1 footwear for Fall 2012 (Q3 and Q4 of this year).  I’ve uploaded some screenshots of that news update and have mirrored the images for everyone’s review.

According to the article in their site, there are a lot of NEW models plus “rich in color variation” (obviously pertaining to shoe colorways).  However, the name of the upcoming silhouettes were not included, since it’s still too early to announce.

  

Speaking of sneak previews, you can check out my October 2011 article about the 2012 product presentation and sneak preview during the And1 Sales Conference last year by clicking HERE.

Please support and follow And1 Japan via Twitter (@and1fukuoka and @and1_jp), but don’t forget - If you want more And1 news, updates, and, shoe sightings/sales on the fly, follow us in Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  And that’s the 411, And Juan!

Hanging out with SPYDA - Part 2 of 2

[Streetball’s Finest  – 1.10.12] – Hanging out with SPYDA - Part 2 of 2

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: Dennis Chism aka Spyda (via Facebook); Getty Images and other sources

A couple of days ago, I posted Part 1 of the blog feature about Spyda aka Dennis Chism.  You can click HERE to read Part 1, or just scroll down for the continuation.

Spyda is currently part of the And1 Live StreetballTour and is playing alongside Hot Sauce, Guy Dupuy, Highrizer, Amazn, 50, Werm, among others. 

I asked him some questions about And1 Live via his e-mail, and have posted them below with his replies.

Flash: Who do you think is the most entertaining guy to watch during the And1 Live tour right now?

Spyda:  “Guy (Dupuy), my teammate that jumps over the cars.”

[Sidenote – Speaking of Guy, check out the video clip below.]

Flash: Who was the toughest streetballer you've gone up against and why?

Spyda:  “Baby Shaq (Hugh Jones) cause he just like me but 6'3 6'4 and can move”

[Sidenote – At 6’3”, Baby Shaq plays the guard position too.]

Flash: For sheer showmanship, which current NBA baller do you think would be a nice addition to the And1 Live tour?

Spyda:  “Chris Paul or Lebron.”

Flash: Speaking of which, the NBA's back.  Who do you think has the best hops in the League?

Spyda: "Blake Griffin."  

Flash: What was the best And1 pair you've ever hooped in? Any fond memories of that shoe?

Spyda:  “The recognizes (referring to the And1 Rekanize Mids), man I miss that shoes it had style and good feel for the feet.”

Flash: Final message for your fans?

Spyda:  “Spyda does what Spyda do.”

You can hang out with Spyda by following him in Twitter (@spyda_and1) or find him on Facebook (Dennis Spyda Chism).  He also sent me a link to his website - www.spot13.net.

As always, I’ll try to feature other streetball players soon, and so feel free to email us at and1pinas@gmail.com for your suggestions on who you want to be featured next.  Please check out and LIKE our Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/and1ph) and follow us on Twitter (@and1ph) for more news, spotlights, and the latest updates about the And1 brand in the Philippines.  And that’s the 411, And Juan!

Hanging out with SPYDA - Part 1 of 2

[Streetball’s Finest  – 1.8.12] – Hanging out with SPYDA - Part 1 of 2

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: Dennis Chism aka Spyda (via Facebook); Getty Images and other sources

Continuing And1 Ph’s blog series “Streetball’s Finest”, I’ve caught up with Dennis Chism aka SPYDA, a fan favorite from the And1 Mixtape Tour and now still playing for the And1 Live Streetball Tour.

For all you And Juans out there who don’t know who Spyda is, Dennis Chism was born in Atlanta, Georgia and plays point guard.  At 5 feet and 1o inches tall and weighing around 175lbs, Spyda is known for his playmaking ability and high-flying dunks.  He is best known for his trademark dunk, the Spyda (just like his nickname), where he hangs upside down while holding on to the rim and then crosses his legs over his hands.

Spyda was kind enough to answer my questions that I sent via his email in such short notice, and even with his busy schedule, he gamely responded to these.  Here’s what he has got to share:

Flash: People already remember you from the Mixtape Tour back in mid-2000s.  When/how did you get invited to join And1 Mixtape Tour / And1 Live?

Spyda: “I had went home to California on school break.“

[Sidenote – Spyda joined the Mixtape tour as a contest player in 2004.  He made the cut, and was signed to a contract the same year.  He also got featured in ESPN’s TV series called “Streetball” from 2004-2006.]

Flash:  What are some of the other known tournaments/leagues/events you've balled in?

Spyda:  “ABA (American Basketball Association) - I played 2 years up under Kobe Bryant’s dad (Joe “Jellybean” Bryant) and playing on the And1 Mixtape allowed me to play at every gym and court.”

[Sidenote – Spyda suited up for the Las Vegas Rattlers and Boston Frenzy of the ABA between 2003-2004]

Flash:  Growing up, who were your influences in playing basketball?

Spyda:  “I’ve always been a Charles Barkley and a Kobe fan.”

Flash:  Who gave you the nickname Spyda and how did you get it?

Spyda:  “A friend of mine, Hot Sauce (Philip Champion).”   

[Sidenote – Hot Sauce gave Spyda his nickname because “he was catching everything”.  Chism used to be called Rim Crawler. – Source:  Hoopsvibe.com]

Continuation of this article will be posted on January 10.  For now, check out his in-game highlights via the Youtube video posted below.  More about Spyda and his And1 Live thoughts in Part 2.  Stay tuned!


[UPDATE - 1.10.12] - Click HERE to read part 2 of this article.

The Painted Face, Journeys Shoes Ad for 2012

[Streetball’s Finest – 1.4.12] – The Painted Face, Journeys Shoes Ad for 2012

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls
Images: Jude Thomas aka The Painted Face (via email)

Out now in Journeys Shoe Stores is a promotional video featuring The Painted Face, whose real name is Jude Thomas. Click HERE to read our blog article about him posted last December.

Posted the Youtube video below for everyone to see.   Join his journey.

If you guys look closely, he's sporting a pair of And1 KG II Mids (fresh!) and wearing a jersey that says Sweetwater on it.  It's because Jude is going to be in a basketball movie called "Sweetwater", written and directed by Martin Guigui, and it tells the story of the first African-American to make it to the NBA, Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton. 

Check out more of his videos in YouTube (Hollywood Hoops), and please do watch out for more baller spotlights in the future.  You can email us at and1pinas@gmail.com, check out our Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/and1ph) and follow us on Twitter (@and1ph) for news, features, and the latest updates about the And1 brand in the Philippines.  And that's the 411, And Juan!