Browsing the "Kevin Durant" Tag
KEVIN DURANT
Kevin Durant, aka KD and ‘Durantula’, is the youngest of the three Nike Basketball signature athletes. His Zoom KD signature line is designed by Nike designer Leo Chang; the Zoom KD is most recognized for its low price-point – a product detail specified by Kevin himself. Kevin is currently the star player of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and has won three consecutive NBA Scoring Titles from 2010 to 2012.
July 18th, 2012 by John K.
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The ’92 Dream Team vs. 2012 USAB debate was pretty much settled on Monday night when the 2012 squad, despite coming out victorious, was given a rather hard time by the Brazil squad (even trailing by 10 points at on junction in the game). But regardless of how prideful the 2012 team members feel, they still pay homage to the Great One because Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant, two of Nike’s three top athletes, arrived in London wearing Air Jordans (KD in the Olympics, Kobe in the Air Jordan 1 ‘Vegas’). Although this isn’t the slightest bit a betrayal to Nike, make that three-of-three of Nike Basketball’s Big Three putting their own signature shoes aside in favor of classic Air Jordans (Durant was seen wearing the White/Cement IV during his stop at Barry Farm last Friday). More of KD and Kobe in their Air Jordans below, so take a look and let us know if you think Nike’s signature athletes should be obligated to stick with their own brand (or even their own shoes). Photos: theybf
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July 17th, 2012 by John K.
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To cap off the 2012 Nike World Basketball Festival in Washington DC, Team USA Basketball hosted the Brazil National Team at the Verizon Center for a double-header showcase of exhibition match-ups as a warm-up to the upcoming Olympics Games. Starting the night off, Team USA Womens Basketball faced off against Brazil’s Womens Basketball squad and without surprise, USA pulled off a blow-out victory by 32 points led by point guard Lindsay Whalen. After the women’s match-up, the Men took the court, but Team USA Mens Basketball didn’t have the same fortune as their Womens counterpart did as they trailed by 10 at on point in the game. However, Team USA regrouped thanks to some clutch buckets by LeBron James and the defense by Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Tyson Chandler, and Team USA eked out a victory by a considerably narrow margin.
One of the highlights of the night was the arrival of President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden; The First Couple were placed on the arena “Kiss Cam”, but embarrassingly enough, President Obama was left hanging. Redemption would be had as the President and the First Lady shared a kiss later when the “Kiss Cam” returned in the Fourth Quarter. All-in-all, it was a night of great basketball entertainment in the Nation’s Capitol, so check out the recap of the night’s game below and don’t forget to look through our thorough recap of the Nike World Basketball Festival! Photos: USA Basketball
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July 10th, 2012 by John K.
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Team USA Basketball is nearing the end of Training Camp in Las Vegas, as the final roster of 12 works out the last few kinks before moving forward to the World Basketball Festival later this week. Along with a practice session, the NBA stars took time to take some official Media Day photos, where LeBron James and Kobe Bryant stood proudly wearing the Team USA ‘Away’ uniforms. Some of Team USA members are teammates in real life, like the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in Tyson Chandler as well as the OKC Thunder trio of KD, Westbrook, and Harden. More of the official media day photos as well as a nice recap of their practice below, so take a look and keep in tune to Sneaker News for more Team USA coverage!
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July 7th, 2012 by John K.
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Kevin Durant’s a baller. Yes, that sounds wildly obvious, but in a recent interview with ESPN, Durant was hungry for more basketball and couldn’t wait to get the Olympic festivities started – even after a strenous Playoff run and tough loss in the Finals. The reigning three-time Scoring Champion will likely play a major role in running Team USA’s offense, especially with LeBron gravitating more toward the ‘ball-handler’ role and Wade sitting out this year’s Games to nurse an injury. When the KD IV chapter is all said and done, it will go down as one of the best signature sneakers in Nike Basketball history for its high popularity, outstanding colorways, welcoming price-point, and of course, the fact that Durant is a star unlike we’ve ever seen before. The KD IV ‘Scoring Title’, which gives Durant his due props for earning his third straight NBA Scoring Title, will release on July 21st, so butter yourself up with this first detailed look and let us know if these are the best KD IV of the year. Photos: hk-kicks
Nike Zoom KD IV
Tour Yellow/Lemon Twist-Photo Blue
473679-703
07/21/12
$95
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June 22nd, 2012 by John K.
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Has there been a pro athlete in history that has been under the watchful eye of the public and his peers more than LeBron James has? Since Day 1, the entire NBA was going after the bulls-eye that was placed on his back; opposing coaches were doubting him, sports reporters spewed unbridled hate, and it seemed the world preferred to see this High School man-child wilt in the spotlight rather than spawn a next-gen legend that would eventually rival the ranks of the Jordans, Birds, and Magics. There was no middle-ground with LeBron, so when he re-routed his career in mid-2010 in a trajectory straight toward an NBA title rather than play the role of home-town hero in Cleveland, the balance was shifted heavily toward the side of detractors. LeBron’s desire to win was unfairly misconstrued as taking the ‘easy way out’, and last year, it seemed like more celebrated Miami’s loss than they did Dallas’ win.
LeBron, Wade, and Bosh adopted a different approach to the ’11-’12 NBA Season. Gone was the ‘we got this’ swagger and in came the disciplined game-plan in which Wade and Bosh conceded to LeBron by playing the positions of side-kick and max-contract role-player; although the Heat did run into some trouble in the Playoffs, they appeared to evolve and adjust rather quickly, winning the Conference Semi-Finals, Conference Finals, and NBA Finals in come-from-behind fashion (they were trailing in all three match-ups). LeBron sported a stoic and grimacing demeanor not often seen prior to this year, but he was all smiles when the white and red confetti poured down from the sky and he immediately reminded us why he’s worthy of being an NBA Champion in a post-game interview by stating “I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland, but I understood what my future was about…that coming to Miami and being a part of this organization – I knew we had a bright future. This is a dream come true for me.”
So what happens now that LeBron James is an NBA Champion? You can count on critics clamoring for an *asterisk like Phil Jackson did in ’99 (in regards to San Antonio’s Championship in the shortened ’99 Season), or on fans blaming the officiating, but what’s done is done – hate it or love it, the King HAS a ring. LeBron, who already dominates the footwear game, will see his sky-high stock rise to new heights, Dwyane Wade will bask in the glory of being a multiple winner, and don’t forget Fab Five legend and 18-year veteran Juwan Howard, who can finally retire with some sort of Championship hardware. The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have much to worry about either; they close out their season by giving the Thunder its first ever NBA Finals appearance, and it looks like KD and LeBron’s offseason workouts last Summer paid dividends – so don’t be surprised if the two meet again next June. It’s been a great run, so thanks for following Sneaker News on our NBA Feet journey this season and check out Game 5 below! Photos: yahoo
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June 20th, 2012 by John K.
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It took four games for the OKC Thunder to start a game off strong, but their big lead would last just one quarter as Miami pulled back and took control at the half. From there, it was all Heat, with the OKC Thunder barely staying above water thanks to Russell Westbrook‘s monster performance. However, it was a Chris Webber-like late-game falter by Westbrook himself that sealed the deal for Miami, who now owns a dominant (although not indomitable) 3-1 series lead. LeBron played the role of point-guard last night, dishing out major dimes to role players and scoring big down the stretch despite a leg injury, but will LeBron officially join the NBA Championship club this Thursday night, or does Durant and OKC have what it takes to win one in South Beach and bring it back to the Chesapeake Arena? Photos: yahoo
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June 13th, 2012 by John K.
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The prices of sneakers have risen to amazing heights over the last two years, with Nike making a courageous effort to tag a shoe with a $250 asking price in the LeBron 9 Elite. So what could we expect with a shoe roughly a third of that price? Nike proved that at a low-tier pricepoint, an amazing shoe could be made – just look toward the KD IV, which has become the defining sleeper hit of the year. Working closely with Kevin Durant, designer Leo Chang created the Nike Zoom KD IV using the all-new Adaptive Fit lockdown system on a low-cut construction and a fore-foot Zoom-padded outsole, giving the shoe some design appeal with the strap and pointed tongue, but what really lit the spark were the introductory high-energy colorways in the ‘Nerf’ and ‘Weatherman’. What followed was a continual string of sure-fire hits like the ‘Galaxy’, ‘Easter’, the N7 release, and Nike iD, and quickly the Zoom KD IV rose to becoming the ‘it’ shoe for the first-half of 2012.
The success of the KD IV has Durant’s signature line on unfamiliar ground – that is, because the expectations are astoundingly high. Quite frankly, the Zoom KD III didn’t make that much noise and the exciting releases were rather limited, so the KD IV’s popularity arrived so suddenly simply because it didn’t rank too high on the list of must-watch items on our radar. Fortunately for KD, Leo, and Nike, there’s a mounting anticipation around the Nike Zoom KD V and the expectations are much higher, and this first look at a catalog shot shows that the Zoom KD isn’t just a ‘bargain’ purchase, but a headlining release.
Some details worth pointing out: Obviously, the lack of the strap is the most daunting feature (or subtraction), but the addition of visible Max Air on the heel, a pronounced heel counter, a rising ankle peak (note the heel is still relatively low), and a unique tongue construction and lacing system. The overall profile of the shoe can be compared to Nike’s current non-signature flagship models like the Hyperdunk and Hyperfuse, and it certainly draws comparisons to Durant’s physical build – slender yet sleek. Of course, this catalog shot isn’t enough to lay down a verdict, but expect more in every definition of the word as the Zoom KD is slated to break the $100 barrier with some interesting structural advances. Your thoughts? The Zoom KD IV saga isn’t quite over yet, but let us know what you think of this first look at the next KD shoe, and stay tuned to Sneaker News for more. Photos: infam0usP on NT
Nike Zoom KD V
554988-002
Spring 2013
$115
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June 13th, 2012 by John K.
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Advantage: Oklahoma City Thunder. Game 1 kicked off in the Chesapeake Arena last night as the OKC Thunder hosted the Eastern Conference representatives for the opening festivities of the 2012 NBA Finals. Sneaker News gave you a quick preview of the LeBron vs. Durant match-up, and clearly, the outcome of the first battle went in Durant’s favor. Durant, who was wearing the Nike Zoom KD IV NBA Finals PE, lit up the fourth quarter and would not let Miami catch up, sealing the deal with teammate Russell Westbrook hitting some key shots. The entire Thunder squad donned white-based gear, with Center Kendrick Perkins opting for the Air Jordan IV ‘Military’ and Thabo Sefalosha wearing the ‘Home’ Kobe VII Elite.
LeBron James started the game off strong, catching our attention with his own NBA Finals PE of the LeBron 9 Elite, and running-mate Dwyane Wade sported his own PE of the Jordan Fly Wade 2 EV, which featured hints of gold on a red base. The entire Heat squad chose to wear predominately red, with Chris Bosh wearing a sick PE of the Air Max Hyperdunk Elite, Mario Chalmers proudly rocking his own Spalding PE, and perimeter threat Shane Battier wearing his Peak special editions. We’ve got a nice gallery of last night’s NBA Finals Game 1 showdown, so check out the best sneakers of the night and be sure to check back with Sneaker News with more PE goodness and, of course, Thursday night’s Game 2. Photos: yahoo
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