Portland Trail Blazers: Ranking the 10 most iconic signature shoes
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Nike Pippen V. Scottie Pippen. 6. 2002. player. 34
Shoe: Nike Pippen V
If we were basing this solely on Scottie Pippen’s tenure in Chicago, where he rocked classic lines such as the Nike Air Uptempo or the Nike Foamposite, Pippen probably ranks among the top-2, and not No. 2 on this list. Those shoes were just that iconic.
By 2001, the end of the line was coming. The days of Pippen making Playoff runs beyond the first-round had come to a close, and his shoes lacked that aforementioned level of mystique. These shoes were remarkably similar to Gary Payton’s GP-IV, which the mushroom-type zipper sole on the front.
These shoes would end up being the last shoe in the original Pippen line. Despite some complaining that these weren’t as comfortable as some of the prior shoes, they still deserve some level of ceremony. In the postseason, Pippen averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game on 46.2 percent from the field, 54.5 percent from deep, and 87.5 percent from the field as a 35-year-old in these kicks.
2020. 34. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Nike KD 12. Nassir Little. 5
Shoe: Nike KD 12
Soon after the NBA Draft, nearly every player from the first-round of the 2019 class signed an endorsement deal to one of the household name shoe brands. No. 25 pick Nassir Little was no different, inking a deal with Nike. While the hope is that someday, he breaks through to superstardom and earns his own signature shoe, for now, we can celebrate the iconic shoes he is rocking.
The release of the Nike KD 12 shoes coincided with one of Kevin Durant’s most underrated postseason runs. Before injuries curtailed it, Durant was averaging a career-high 32.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 51.4 percent shooting, 43.8 percent from deep, and 90.3 percent from the free throw line.
It proved to be one of the great offensive coups in postseason history. The science of the Nike KD 12 is just as fascinating, as described by Front Office Sports’ Jeff Eisenband. The goal was to provide more support for Durant, adding a “padded feel” and heel adjustment, while also reminding Durant of hoop heroes of the past, be it Penny Hardaway or Charles Barkley.
Over the first 48 games of his career, Little has made the best limited time, hitting nearly 70 percent of his shots in the paint, while providing defense and energy on the other end.