GIF: Bleacher Report
Sneakers have long been seen as a device to make a statement in basketball. Whether it is just to prove that you have best sneaker game on the court or your team wears the same colored kicks as a sign of solidarity, few things can separate you from the pack or bring you closer together than the shoes that you wear. Over the years, we have seen kicks with inspirational messages on them that pay homage to certain individuals who are going through a tough time or unique colorways that reveal the feelings the player might be going through and many more instances that have shown us the power of expression through footwear. Some live on through the annals of sneaker history while some fall by the wayside, but they all served their purpose of getting a message across to millions watching around the world at that particular time.
On Tuesday night, we might be witness to another one of those moments. As news broke over the weekend of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s alleged leaked conversation with his ex-girlfriend which included many startling – although sadly not surprising if you’ve followed the Sterling saga through the years – comments about African Americans, the narrative of Sterling changed from the rich and crazy old uncle who says harmless (spoiler: they were never just “harmless”) dumb s**t to a rich and crazy old monster who says harmful dumb s**t that could be sitting on a potential NBA championship dynasty if things fall the right way. Make no mistake about it, Sterling has long been a monster in the eyes of many people, but it took his team finally being seen as a legitimate championship threat and the internet not giving up on this story (ESPN and various major sports news outlets did not report on this story for nearly half a day, but social media kept banging on that door until the NBA had no choice but to comment) for people to finally notice.
For the players on the Clippers, this could not have come at a worse time. They had a 2-1 lead in their blood feud against the Golden State Warriors and were looking to make it two in a row on the road with a chance to close it out on Tuesday at Staples Center. Instead, the comments made by Sterling shook the team and their coach to the core and played a part in the beating they suffered at the hands of the Warriors. Now they head back to Los Angeles to start essentially a best of 3 series with a fan base that may or may not be there because if players were hurt by the owner’s words, the long-suffering fans who have been there for years (yes, there is such a thing as Clipper fans who have been there through all of the crap) were probably hurt even more. They finally have a team worth cheering for and there goes that idiot who signs the checks to ruin everything.
Image: Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
On Sunday afternoon, as a way to protest the matter, the Clipper players gathered at center court in Oakland and threw their warm-ups on the floor while also wearing shirts inside-out so no logos could be seen. They also wore black wristbands and sleeves to go along with their road black socks. It was as if they wanted to say they no longer played for the Clippers and Donald Sterling, but rather for the city of Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see if they wear their home white jersey on Tuesday night because it does say “Clippers” on their chest.
Over the weekend, the rest of the league and social was all over the Clippers as to what they need to do. The Portland Trail Blazers for their part also wore black socks at home and placed their warm-ups on the floor as a show of support. LeBron James said there was no room in the NBA for an owner like Donald Sterling. Charlotte Bobcats owner and all-around G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan was disgusted both as a fellow owner and former player who routinely clashed with ownership, albeit never on this personal of a level. Magic Johnson, who is unfortunately somehow involved in this mess to begin with, has gone on record as never attending another Clipper game as long as Sterling is around (he should just buy the Clippers… wait, what?). People on Twitter were calling on the team to boycott the game or silently protest until they absolutely had to be on the court. In the end, the team decided that they will play on in spite of their owner.
But the real test comes on Tuesday night in front of their home crowd. It was too late for them to do anything sneaker-wise on Sunday, but now they have a chance to send a profound statement with their kicks. Chances are the all-black socks and accessories practice will continue, but will they also wear matching black shoes as well? It’s something we haven’t seen famously since the Chicago Bulls teams of the 90s, but this will be for entirely different reasons. Or could it be something we’ve never seen before that unifies this team and this city somehow? Maybe Chris Paul and Blake Griffin already made the call to Jordan Brand while Jamal Crawford and BRANDBLACK have something ready to go. Does Matt Barnes need to get in touch with adidas to get some PEs done ASAP and will J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley have to make a run to their local Foot Locker? Anything could happen on Tuesday night, which also means nothing could happen and we get back to business of basketball as we move past it. But as a sneakerhead, we all know the platform is there for a statement to be made. It will be up to those Los Angeles professional basketball players to see if they want to make history or just move on. And regardless of what route they choose, it will be hard to say they’re wrong.
Additional images courtesy of NIKEiD, mi adidas and @keezcam
© jmartinez for KicksOnFire.com, 2014. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
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