Nike Basketball News

The Collection: Zoom KD III Scoring Champ

tonyhellberg1 — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:36:39 GMT

Together.

As the saying goes, it’s the way for everyone to achieve more.

But just like the way KD pays homage to a higher power after each game, words like friendship and honor, loyalty and family are far more than lip service.

Family. Friend. Teammate.

With KD, it’s hard to tell where one lines stops and the next one begins.

You’ll find them in the details of the KD III Scoring Champ Edition.

The names and places that continue to shape him; the thunderbolt of talent that never stops working - because he knows it’s never enough.

For together they rise. Each time he fills up that scoring column when the network stars align - 44 points on Christmas Day - and just about everywhere else OKC laces ‘em up - see: 25 points, 29 times.

Your 2010-11 scoring champ welcomes you to the Western Conference Finals in style.

All-Star 2011: Three For All

tonyhellberg1 — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:57:37 GMT

Take a break. Recharge. Rest up for the second half playoff push.

More like: show off, crank it up a notch and leave your mark on a weekend that’s marked by the game’s very best.

If Hollywood is synonymous with 3-D special effects, consider this collection the pinnacle triple threat.

Offense. Defense. All the “wow” in between.

Triple-doubles. MVPs. Championship rings.

Kobe. LeBron. KD.

From the champions’ throne to that lion on the hunt; a scoring champion back for his second helping and a three-way inside track on All-NBA.

Kobe VI. LeBron 8 V/2. KDIII.

This is what happens when red meets blue.

All-Star 2011: This is Los Angeles

tonyhellberg1 — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:12:23 GMT

The whole league.

The full extent of its collective greatness.

Nothing but the absolute best.

Each member an individual component. Representing a city. A team. Statistical prowess. “Wow” factor that simply cannot be measured.

But from the bright lights of Hollywood to the expansive stretch of Orange County and the mean streets bubbling with basketball pride on its east side, this concrete jungle will try.

From the shoes on-court to the double-secret events staged throughout the urban landscape, the boldest essence will emerge.

The colors. The sights. The sounds. The games.

The fearlessness in their DNA.

This is All-Star Weekend 2011.

This. Is Los Angeles.

The Collection: Zoom KD III Black and Grey

tonyhellberg1 — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:55:07 GMT

At the intersection of loyalty and camaraderie, you’ll find the thick of another crowded Western Conference battle for playoff seeding.

Inside: the technology behind the league’s most-exciting team.

With design inspiration from a defending scoring champ who doubles as its on-court heart and basketball soul.

The sweet music he plays on the hardwood piano - redefining the meaning of “deep three”, adjusting on the dead run through a human maze of ball screens, quieting any opponent’s run with ice in his veins, all eyes upon him, unguarded at 15 feet - is represented on his signature shoe.

Key design details hidden in the Zoom KD III Black and Grey are evidence:

Every time he takes the court, KD’s basketball dreams come true.

The Collection: Zoom KD III Christmas Day

tonyhellberg1 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:34:22 GMT

As traffic signals go, yellow blinks in the middle.

It’s a study in caution: should you stay - or should you go?

And it’s the exact same dilemma defenders face whenever KD gets to his favorite scoring place. Which happens to be anywhere across half court.

Your eye’s shortwave cells aren’t stimulated by bananas and sunflowers. They demand electricity - and the defending scoring champ glows incandescent with the ball in his hands.

Slippery winter roads? Use caution then.

As the current hardwood leader in points per game, KD’s merely at it again.

The Zoom KD III Christmas Day will help its namesake welcome Denver to OKC on Saturday.

The Collection: Nike Zoom KD III

tonyhellberg1 — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:36:38 GMT

The design details tell KD’s story. And that means a focus on team.

From the five-as-one lighting bolts as figurative illustrations of the storm that’s brewing over the Western Conference to the technical aspects that allow the shoe to fit multiple position’s needs.

The technology helps unlock each one of his teammates’ varying degrees of expertise.

Full-grain leather combined with synthetic materials - so durability unites with a lightweight fit.

Injected stability for human pogo sticks ready to bounce into highlight reels at any given minute.

And a responsive Zoom cushioning unit, for low-profile support on his personal league-wide scoring title defense tour.

Introducing: the Nike Zoom KD III.

It’s about the fusion of loyalty and camaraderie. Hidden elements detail the exact specifications: the intersection of basketball royalty and concrete history lessons learned in the cages of Washington, D.C.

Versatile players, meet your signature shoe experience.

His logo marks the tongue. So every time you pull them on, know your basketball journey has just begun.

The Collection: KD Player Edition Hyperfuse

tonyhellberg1 — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 22:30:09 GMT

There’s thunder threatening the Great Plains.

The sudden sound that follows a lightning flash caused by the prompt expansion of air around a young man’s path to greatness.

Electricity. Every time the ball’s in his hands.

From the sharp, loud crack of limbs scaling rims to the long, low rumble of his team gaining Western Conference steam.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the loud clap begins tonight. And their storm maker will charge the court in the Kevin Durant Player Edition Hyperfuse.

Kevin Durant: MVP

tonyhellberg1 — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 07:05:54 GMT

Most.

By quantity, points. As in: the most points scored by a U.S. player over the course of a single tournament and in a single game.

To the extent that his range extended - over both expansive zone defenses designed to stop him and the ever-expanding leadership on display for Team USA.

Every step in the direct line of ascent he originally eschewed: face of the red, white and blue. Every made basket, every blocked shot - sure. But the course of restoring world order required tandem smiles and intensity - primal - from silencing critics and crowds to supporting the second unit, creating an art form out of ferociously waving towels.

Valuable.

Monetary. Worth the price of admission - should your worldly pursuits have taken you to Istanbul. Every game a statement, turning the turning points within into a personal assault of a worldwide stage.

Desirable. Longing to prove he belonged in Beijing. Exhibiting relentless instincts, making sure the world forever knows this was no B-team. Expressed in his scintillating, team-leading play - and a simple message scrawled on his shoes for fallen citizens and troops.

Esteemed. On that aforementioned stage the basketball world views larger than even the Olympics, a player that teammates and coaches alike consider a privilege. To play with. To win with. To sit back and watch along the way.

Player.

Kevin Durant. Newly-minted World Basketball Championship MVP.

Congrats USAB, On Top of the World!

tonyhellberg1 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:11:40 GMT

On Top of the World

The adversity was implied - both whispered and shouted - in every word written, every tweet tweeted, every morsel of doubt the naysayers could find. One meandering column or exclamation point at a time.

Too young. Too inexperienced. Too many superstars taking a World Championship pass.

The adversity was real, a virtual sea of Turkish red. The Sinan Erdem Dome: 15,000 raucous Turks buoyed by the home team’s seminal semifinal theatrics, further charged to cheer down these upstart Americans.

Too difficult. Too loud. Too many things that could easily go wrong in the ocean between New York City and Istanbul, Turkey.

But writers write. Fans cheer. And players play.

Talent knows no fear in the face of togetherness. Confidence requires no age limit. International superstardom is not comprised of regular season scoring titles or NBA All-Star games. The champion’s dictionary deletes words like “impossible” and replaces them with pictures of gold medals. There is no maestro like Coach K.

Overshadowed by everything:

Summer’s end, college football, Labor Day.

Mindful of everything else:

16-year FIBA droughts, their own country’s indifference, 9/11.

With eyes laser-focused on the red, white and blue name stitched on the front of their jerseys, they embraced all that adversity. They embraced European basketball, one trapezoidal possession at a time. And shook down perceived shortcomings, one suffocating lesson in team at a time.

Podium please.

Gentlemen, you’re back on top of the world.

To see pictures of the road to victory visit www.facebook.com/nikebasketball

WBF: Make your own Signature Move

tonyhellberg1 — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:04:33 GMT

COUNTER 62

The genius in his game lives in the angles of attack Kevin Durant takes.

You see the height; you think low post. You see the stroke - and realize how easily he could become a three point-shooting ghost.

COUNTER 62 is distinctly in between. The embodiment of a lost art: the midrange jumper. Albeit with a hint 21st century crossover nuance.

And it’s here - in the peculiar in between - that the distinctive elements of KD’s offensive prowess meet. Unstoppable force meets no immovable objects on the way to scoring titles.

Kevin Durant is the player. Rucker Park is the place. Friday, August 13th is the date.

COUNTER 62 is the move. Perform it. And posterize yourself.

WBF Blog: USAB Vegas Recap

tonyhellberg1 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:07:07 GMT

Show up.

Nearly two-dozen of the NBA’s best did.

And for a week they battled in the scorching desert for a spot on America’s team.

Stretch. Practice. Learn.

Stretch. Scrimmage. Compete.

Cool down - and clown around - at photo sessions in between.

There were injuries. Utter frustrations. New friendships forged around scintillating intrasquad battles.

Vegas Week ended with the 2010 Showcase on ESPN: one last chance for the invitees to fight for the opportunity to advance to the next round of training camp in New York from August 9-16.

Kevin Durant’s tomahawk dunks stole the show; his 28 points helped earn Player of the Game honors.

Nikebasketball.com was there every step of the way - so check out the photo galleries for up-close Vegas action.

The architect: Jerry Colangelo.

The coach: Mike Krzyzewski.

The goal: FIBA World Championship Gold in Turkey.

The players: still TBD headed to NYC.

Get your tickets for the August 15 international basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden today by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com. Or call 1.800.4.NBA.TIX so you don’t miss one second on the USA Men’s National Team on display in New York!

The Collection 3.0: Zoom KD II Scoring Title

TheLetterJ — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:06:51 GMT

Less than three years ago, on June 28, 2007, Kevin Durant was the second pick of the 2007 NBA Draft.

Today, he is the reigning NBA Scoring leader, after averaging 30.1 points per game during the 2009-2010 season. Kevin also led the Oklahoma City Thunder into the NBA Playoffs for the first time, falling to the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Monday, June 28, Nike Basketball will celebrate Kevin's remarkable season, during which he became the youngest scoring champion in NBA history, by releasing the Zoom KD II Scoring Title. This shoe features Kevin's point totals from the season on the collar lining, as well as a badge on the tongue that references his friends and teammates, The Broingtons, as well as Kevin's "Pure Committment." The sockliner includes another call-out to The Broingtons, a pennant that alludes to Kevin's appearance in the NBA All-Star Game in February 2010, and two horses that represent his two H.O.R.S.E competition wins.

A very limited number of pairs of the Zoom KD II Scoring Title will be released at Niketown Chicago, as well as House of Hoops locations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Dallas.

And Niketown Chicago will get more than just the Zoom KD II. On Monday, June 28, Kevin Durant himself will be making an appearance in-store at 2:30 PM.

NYC: USA Basketball Planning Inaugural World Basketball Festival

tonyhellberg1 — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:07:58 GMT

This summer, NIKE, Inc. and USA Basketball are planning to bring the world’s best basketball teams and top musical performers to New York City for the inaugural World Basketball Festival, a four-day celebration of the performance and culture of the game, an event that Nike has committed to reprising every two years.

The World Basketball Festival, August 12-15, features basketball’s leading brands within the NIKE Inc. portfolio – Converse, the Jordan Brand, and Nike Basketball.
The World Basketball Festival is a uniquely dynamic event, from the moment it tips off with a showcase featuring members of the 2010 USA Basketball National Team on an open-air court in Times Square, to an unprecedented Times Square performance by a surprise musical act, to the final games of the weekend between four of the best teams in the world at Madison Square Garden.

From Times Square on August 12, the action moves uptown to New York City’s legendary basketball courts at Rucker Park in Harlem, Friday and Saturday, August 13 and 14.

The World Basketball Festival concludes Sunday, August 15 with an exciting exhibition double-header featuring the United States taking on France (1 p.m. EDT) and China meeting Puerto Rico (3:30 p.m. EDT) at famed Madison Square Garden.
The exhibition games are being utilized as part of the teams’ preparation for the 2010 FIBA World Basketball Championship in Turkey, August 28 to September 12.

The Moment: Answers

TheLetterJ — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:05:08 GMT

The Moment can be an answer. Or - in Kevin Durant's case after Game 3 - answers.

The Warm-Up Questions

Can the youngest scoring champion in NBA history find other ways to help his team win - especially when his shot isn't falling?

Answer: Yes.

Evidence: a defensive rebounding clinic and 19 total boards.

Can a budding superstar lock horns with the truly elite - and lock them down with the game on the line?

Answer: Yes.

Evidence: a 4th quarter defensive switch pairing KD with Kobe. Promptly followed by KD's shot-altering pterodactyl harassment.

The Winning Question

How does a young player - in his first-ever playoff experience - bounce back from missing a potential game-winning shot in the previous game?

Answer: Spectacularly.

Evidence: as if those 19 boards and late-game defensive prowess weren't enough, KD responded to a woeful shooting start and early foul trouble by pumping in several 4th quarter daggers on his way to a game-high 29 points.

The Moment can be a series of answers.

Kevin Durant's Game 3 performance proved that he's ready for the next set of playoff questions.

The Collection 3.0: Zoom KD II

TheLetterJ — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:20:30 GMT

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

When the team takes the court to take on the Los Angeles Lakers, many players will be wearing the Zoom KD II.