NBC-LA: Forget Air Jordans, Get Your Phil Jackson Kicks (Phil Jackson Artillery X Shoe)
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Forget Air Jordans, Get Your Phil Jackson Kicks
The coach known for sitting down has got a shoe deal
By KURT HELIN Updated 5:10 PM PDT, Thu, Aug 13, 2009
Who wants the Zoom Kobe IV when you can have the new Phil Jackson
kicks ?
Jackson, the coach known for sitting stoically on the sidelines
regardless of how his team is doing, has teamed up with Adidas for a
new shoe. The Phil Jackson Artillery shoe is a high-top that comes in
two color schemes - Lakers purple and yellow, or Bulls red and black.
The shoes will have an "X" on the back to represent Jackson's 10 NBA
titles as a coach.
From the drawings, these look like high quality basketball shoes, not
the padded shoes of a senior citizen who has had two hips replaced.
Still, it's a little ironic that in a shoe market where only the top
few players can even get a signature shoe, the slow-moving Jackson is
going to get one.
Certainly Phil Jackson the player didn't have any shoe contracts.
First off, nobody did back in the 1970s, and even if they had Phil
Jackson was a role player, a guy who did the dirty work for the New
York Knicks.
As Roland Lazenby, author of several books on Jackson and the Lakers,
said on Twitter Thursday: "If PJ endorses it should be elbow pads, he
broke lotta noses as a player."
But Adidas will latch on to anyone who can sell a shoe right now.
Nike's Jordan line still dominates the market years after his
retirement like Jordan himself dominated the league. Meaning it's a
virtual monopoly. Everyone else, including Kobe Bryant and LeBron
James, are just picking up the scraps.
At least this will be another area Jackson beats Red Auerbach - how
many shoes did he sell ? Of course, neither of them are Chuck Taylor
when it comes to shoes.
Kurt Helin lives in Los Angeles where he wears flip flops while running
the NBA/Lakers blog Forum Blue & Gold (which you can also follow in
twitter).
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Bull and Laker Artillery X shoe concept drawing:
http://www.eukicks.com/adidas-artillery-x-phil-jackson-x-10-championships-concept-draw/
After Phil Jackson won his 10th NBA championship this year Adidas has
come up with a concept sneaker marking the milestone. The Adidas
Artillery "X" will be released on November 1st in a limited run of 15
pairs. As you can see in the picture the right sneaker will be in the
Chicago Bulls theme (six NBA championship titles) and the left one in
the LA Lakers theme (four NBA Championship titles).
At the moment only the concept drawing has been made public. As soon
as we get more information and pictures on these kicks we will let you
know instantly.