Durant sets Nike shoe launch
Super Liga volleyball launched July 7
WASHINGTON, D. C. – The three-time NBA scoring champion who has made shooting an art form is launching his sixth Nike signature shoe via a twoday media tour where the global press will visit his hometown of Seat Pleasant, Maryland. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant is hosting the event described as a celebration of his life’s journey and highlighted by the muchawaited unveiling of his latest footwear.
Durant and Nike shoe designer Leo Chang are scheduled to meet the press in separate interviews during the tour. Participants of the media trip arrived here the other day. Representing the Philippines are Mico Halili of Slam Magazine and Joaquin Henson of The Philippine STAR.
The shoe will be out in the market on July 3 at a retail price of $130. It embodies the evolution of Durant’s basketball odyssey and is different from the previous five editions as the shoe is a low-top, soccer-inspired model with a no-sew upper, assymetrical lacing and tongue assembly, concentric-lined midsole and stabilizing imbedded Flywire. Early peeks of the shoe reveal two colorways Ð one in white, light blue and dark blue and another in yellow, light blue and dark blue. The Nike swoosh in dark blue is close to the toe and Durant’s symbolic initials KD are near the heel.
Durant and Chang are expected to disclose how the shoe was created and describe its performance enhancing features. Durant’s previous edition KD V had inscriptions depicting his roots in the sole. The latest version captures how Durant has evolved into an NBA icon.
The visit to Seat Pleasant is a critical element of the two-day experience. Durant invited media “to see the places and meet the people that made me who I am today while hearing the full story behind my new shoe, the KD VI.” Nike officials said the tour will include visits to the house where Durant grew up, the street courts where he learned to play, the Activity Center where he developed his passion for the game and his favorite spots in Seat Pleasant. The town has a population of over 4,500 and covers an area of 181 hectares. Aside from Durant, another NBA player from Seat Pleasant is Michael Beasley.
In media interviews, Durant will explain the distinct personality of the KD VI, how the change of scenery from Maryland to Texas to Seattle to Oklahoma has impacted on his basketball career and the secret of his success as a professional player. Since Durant was cut in tryouts for the 2008 US Olympic team, he will share the lessons he learned from that setback. He will also recall the memories of his Manila visit two years ago.
Durant, 24, led Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals in 2011-12 but the Thunder lost to Miami in five games. This season, he became one of only six NBA players in history to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three-point distance and 90 percent from the line, joining Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. Durant lost his scoring title despite averaging 28.1 points but outdid himself with his remarkable accuracy, hitting .510 from the field, .416 from triple range and .905 from the stripe. He also averaged a career-high 4.6 assists, indicating a willingness to share the ball and get teammates involved in the offense.
Durant was raised by his mother Wanda Pratt and grandmother Barbara Davis. Durant’s father Wayne left the family before his first birthday but came back when he was 13. Both parents worked for the government, his father with the Library of Congress and mother with the Post Office. Durant and older brother Tony were actively engaged in sports as boys. It was his mother who conspired with coach Taras (Stink) Brown to guide Durant’s path to basketball glory from elementary to high school. After averaging 25.8 points as a University of Texas freshman, Durant turned pro and was Seattle’s first round pick, second overall behind Greg Oden, in 2007.
At the start of the 2010-11 season, Durant inked a five-year contract extension with Oklahoma City for $86 Million. This year, his endorsement earnings are estimated to breach the $35 Million mark. His credits include a starring role in the comedy film “Thunderstruck.” What makes Durant popular with the fans is his accessibility as “the nicest guy in the NBA.” He often donates to charity and pledged $1 Million to the American Red Cross for the victims of the Moore tornado in Oklahoma last May. The tornado left 24 dead and 377 injured.
Coordinating the Philippine participation in the Durant tour are Raena Aihara Cheong of Nike Southeast Asia Communications, Nike Philippines country marketing manager Courtney Cole-Faso, Nike Philippines sports marketing manager Jino Ferrer and Ogilvy account manager Jandric Lim. The Washington end is supervised by Chad Kersman and Nancy Pan of Nike Global Communications.
The Philippine Super Invitationals, a new volleyball club league aimed at providing players a venue after their collegiate years, kicks off July 7 with a banner field expected to see action at the Philsports Arena.
SportsCore, a sports event and management group founded by several of the country’s seasoned sports events managers and organizers, is putting up the league in partnership with Solar Sports, the country’s top sports entertainment provider.
Volleyball has gained headway in recent years with the successful programs by the UAAP and NCAA with the Shakey’s V-League reviving the sport in 2004 with year-long tournaments. But SportsCore saw the need for a club destination for the athletes who have finished their collegiate playing years.
“SportsCore will try to raise the level of competition in the sport with the Philippine Super Liga, the very first club volleyball league in the Philippines,” said Ian Laurel, PSL Invitational commissioner and SportsCore vice president. “We hope the PSL will be the next venue that allows players to develop high-level skills in a local setting that conforms to the international standards of the sport.”
Laurel also noted that there has been a huge decline in high-level volleyball competitions in the last 10 years, proof of which is the absence of national teams available for international competitions despite the flourishing commercial and school-based volleyball leagues which have gained huge followings the past decade or so.
“Volleyball is the most watched event in the Olympics. It is one of the most popular sports in the world. The Philippines must pounce on the advances gained by the sport and make itself a powerhouse at least in the region,” Laurel said.
Other backers of the league are the Philippine Sports Commission, the San Juan Arena, Healthway Medical, LGR outfitter, Lenovo, Vibram Five Fingers, Pagcor and Mikasa. The league is sanctioned by the Philippine Volleyball Federation.