The era of Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, and Larry Nance began my on-going love affair (you might even call it an obsession) with the Cleveland Cavaliers. I remember The Shot, forever burned on my brain along with frustrations and love/hate emotions towards all Cleveland sports teams. (I rooted for Michael Jordan and the Bulls, too, except when they played the Cavs.) Maybe it's nostalgia, but I've always liked the blue and orange Cavs uniforms best. It thrilled me this season to see the return of the Hardwood Classic throwbacks.
On January 10th against the Portland Trail Blazers, LeBron James added a twist to his early 90's attire with a blue Nike on the left foot and an orange one on the right. The result, besides the buzz, was a stat line of 41-10-8. The Cavs won 106-94. The next night against the Golden State Warriors, he wore the blue shoe on the right foot and the orange on the left. The Cavs won again, 117-114, and LeBron's stats were 37-8-11. The numbers have spoken: It Must Be the Shoes!
I watched an interview on Access Cavaliers where LeBron said he wears a different pair of shoes every game. He keeps some of them (he estimated he has hundreds of pairs), but most he autographs and gives away (there is a pair on display from the collection of Perry Jordan at the Cuyahoga Falls Library). Shoes worn for "big" games go to his mother, Gloria James.
Incidentally, when I Googled "LeBron orange and blue shoe", not only did I find Mismatched and on a Roll. LeBron Again With Two Shoes, Cavs Win, several sites speculated that King James was sending an "I Love New York" message to the Knicks fans. The debate will rage until LeBron makes his decision when this season ends, but until then, I say the shoes speak to LeBron's ability to make anything, absolutely anything, cool.
You can find earlier posts about my favorite basketball player here and here.
Go Cavs!
I can't imagine being able to wear any shoes without breaking them in first. I always get blisters.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to encounter a rapid sports fan (I'm not one - maybe if the Jazz could get to the finals some season, I could be persuaded).
You know, I can't imagine that either, Kass! I'd have to wear them a couple of times before they were even a comfy. Maybe because he's such a super-stud he doesn't get blisters. =) In any case, it must be fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely a sports fan, I grew up watching all sorts of sports with my dad, and my husband teases me because I like watching the games more than he does. I watched Utah play San Antonio the other night! The Jazz beat us last week by one with the buzzer-beater. Carlos Boozer used to play for the Cavs and now plays with the Jazz, so that loss stung just a tiny bit more.
It's much easier when your team is good, as a long-suffering Cleveland sports fan I have to not take it too seriously. I actually took a 7-year break from watching football, basketball, and baseball because "almost winning" each year is not fun! I'm hoping this is the year for the Cavs but the cynical side of me isn't hoping too much.