[Sole Spotlight – 9.27.12] –
The And1 2Chi’s (performance)
Inks: FLASH
aka g_sk1lls
Images: Flash and various online sources
This month’s Sole Spotlight features (in my honest opinion) one of the
most underrated pairs ever released by AND1 – the 2Chi’s, which was previously
available in Mids and Lows.Just
recently, I managed to get my hands on a sales sample of the 2Chi Lows, but
unfortunately only the right foot (major bummer, I know).Nonetheless, posted below some images for
everybody’s reference.
While it has been released
in different PE versions, Jason Williams has been the most recognizable baller
to rock this silhouette. Check out images
of “White Chocolate” in his beloved 2Chi Mids.
While scouring the internet
for images of the 2Chi Mids, I’ve come across some interesting colorways and
PEs. As AND1 is set to celebrate it’s 20th
anniversary next year, one can only hope that the 2Chis be released as a retro
pair (in Mids and Lows please).
Check out more of Sole Spotlight in the succeeding
months, only from And1 Ph. ONE!
[LIVE WIRE – 9.22.12] – AND1 Live Tour
introduces NBA legend Gary Payton as new head coach
Inks: FLASH
aka g_sk1lls
Images and Video Clips: AND1 Live Streetball (via Facebook) / various online
sources
The And1 Live Streetball Tour
(previously known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour) is set to host a press conference
and basketball clinic in Dunlevy Milbank Children Center in Harlem, NY on
October 2, 2012.As indicated in their
press release, they are also set to introduce NBA legend Gary Payton as their new head coach.
GP previously played with
the AND1 Live squad back in August when the streetball tour made a stop in
Latin America. He joined former NBA
players Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, Nick Van Exel, Bonzi Wells,
Theo Ratliff, Dale Davis, and Tim Hardaway
as part of the “Legends of Basketball” who joined forces with AND1 Live in
providing entertainment on the hardcourt and also giving back to the community
by hosting a youth basketball clinic in each city that they visited (San Jose,
Costa Rica, Caracas and Valencia, Venezuela). Click here for our previous blog article about their Latin America tour, and check out the Youtube video highlights posted below.
Video highlights from their Costa Rica stop.
For those of you who may
have been too young to remember Payton’s playing days, here’s a short
refresher. He came out of Oregon State
University as the 2nd overall pick in the 1990 draft (after Derrick
Coleman) and was known primarily as an outstanding on-ball defender (9-time NBA
Defensive First Team). Nonetheless, he has
also selected to the NBA All Star Game 9 times and was a two-time Olympic Gold
Medalist (1996, 2000), aside from being named to different All-NBA Teams on multiple
occasions.
Young GP playing for Oregon State University.
Jason Kidd talks about learning from Gary Payton.
Mo Williams talks about patterning his style of play after GP's.
Also known as The Glove,
Gary Payton played in five NBA teams over the course of his illustrious
career. He has played in 3 NBA Finals
series (Seattle Supersonics in 1996, LA Lakers in 2004, and Miami Heat in
2006), finally winning his only title after the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas
Mavericks in 6 games. Here are some more of his video highlights.
Click to play the video clips.
Gary’s inclusion to the AND1 Live tour as their new
head coach couldn’t have been a more perfect fit. His in-your-face attitude, trash-talking
swagger, and strong and yet professional approach to the game of basketball spells
a lot of thrill for the already-electrifying style of play in which the AND1
Live tour is known for. Truly, exciting
times ahead for the squad that is committed to showcase the exhilarating style
of streetball/basketball throughout the world. It is known that whenever the AND1
LIVE stars visit a community, their first objective is to inspire the youth to
excel in education, and encourage them to stay away from drugs, alcohol and
negative behavior.
Watch out for more And1 Live news and updates soon,
but for local info, news, and updates, you can follow us in Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/and1ph). Big thanks to AND1 President Rob Purvy for
sharing this awesome news and shoutouts as well to Linda Hill and Steven Simmons of
AND1 Live. And that’s the 411, AND Juan!
[Post Script / Author’s Musings:]
On a much personal note, I have been fortunate enough
to meet him back in 2010 during the NBA Asia Challenge here in the Philippines. He is my favorite basketball player of all
time, and it was such a thrill meeting GP in person (along with Mark Cerbo aka
Cerbojam, fellow AND1 Ph founder and admin).
Couple of images and a video clip have been posted below from that
fateful encounter.
[Shoe News –
9.18.12] – New AND1 footwear for 2012 Q3/Q4 have finally arrived! Inks: FLASH
aka g_sk1lls
Images: Flash / various online sources
Last Saturday (September 15), AKT!V outlets have already received their
stocks of new 2012 footwear for the 3rd and 4th quarter
of the year.For adults, 3 new styles
are now available – the Rocket 3.0 Mid (four
different colorways), Guardian Mid,
and the Thunder Mid.There are also kid’s sizes of the Thunder Mid
(two colorways) and Rocket 3.0 Mid.
Price point as
follows, as shared in our previous blog post (click HERE) :
Men’s
Thunder
Mid = Php 3,995
BLACK/ROYAL/SILVER
Rocket
3.0 Mid = Php 2,395
WHITE/WHITE/ROYAL
ASPHALT/ASPHALT/BLACK
WHITE/WHITE/ BLACK
BLACK/BLACK
Guardian
Mid = Php 5,495
CRIMSON/
CRIMSON/BLACK
Kids’
Thunder
Mid = Php 2,295
GOLD/GOLD TRUE PURPLE
BLACK/VARSITY RED/BLACK
Rocket
3.0 Mid = Php 1,995
WHITE/WHITE/ROYAL
In my honest opinion, the Thunder Mid is a
performance shoe that appears to be a combination of the Diamond Mid, Cornering
Mid, and Assault Mid. The Guardian Mid
has already been previously featured in Sole Spotlight back in July (click HERE for the blog article) while the Rocket 3.o is definitely a worthy
successor to the previous incarnations of Rocket (1.0 and 2.0). Posted some reference pictures below.
Grooves on the Cornering Mid + AND1 text on the lateral quarter of the Diamond Mid + heel construction & outsole of the Assault Mid = Thunder Mid?
The Rocket 1.0 and Rocket Low, with the Rocket 2.0.
For the young ballers, the one pair that sticks
out from the pack is the LA Lakers colorway of the Thunder Mid. In true purple and gold fashion, this pair
will definitely look good paired with a Laker jersey/shorts.
The Rocket 3.0 also comes out in white & blue, and it might be a
good choice if the kiddo wants to match his dad who might have also bought the
adult version with the same colorway.
Big thanks to Relzbach Ventures/AKT!V partners (s/o
to Joe Hook Up of Gola Greenbelt) for the update on these new arrivals
including the price point. New
models/colorways are due to arrive later this year, so standby if they do show
up in shoe racks soon. Follow us on
Twitter for up-to-the-minute news (@and1ph) on shoe sightings, and please LIKE
us on Facebook (facebook.com/and1ph) so that our posts appears on your
newsfeeds. Check out the new models for
yourselves, And Juans!
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