Gotta applaud adidas Basketball on another fresh new campaign. This one's entitled #QuickAintFair and is premiered with A$AP Rocky spitting some new, adidas-tailored bars over "Goldie" with rising NBA point guards John Wall, Damian Lillard, & Jrue Holiday showcasing some quick crossovers in the visuals. Everything came together nicely — the song, the athletes, and even the CGI visuals (that court looks amazing). Look for this commercial to air throughout the NBA Playoffs with the new adidas Crazyquick shoe releasing in five colorways on May 1st. I'll close things with John Wall expressing his fandom of the shoe and A$AP...
“I wore the Crazyquick throughout the season and I’m happy to have my first big thing with the adidas family,” said Wall. “I’m a big fan of A$AP. He’s somebody that has real good music going out. He’s a different type of person, a different type of style and it’s great to have him narrating this commercial. I think everyone’s gonna like it a lot.”
Here is the first look at this year's All-Star jerseys, as the NBA and adidas are about to go heavy with the promotion for next month's mid-season exhibition in Houston. Per usual with adidas, there are some intricate details in the design that takes inspiration from the subject:
Designed by adidas, the 2013 NBA All-Star uniforms were inspired by Houston’s rich aeronautical history and the speed of the jet planes that dot its skies. The uniforms’ eye-catching impact camo pattern evokes the world’s fastest fleet of aircraft with the classic silhouette of a basketball net.
I love how direct to the subject that adidas gets their ideas. What do you all think of the threads? I rock with these, especially compared to all-star jerseys of the past few years. Plus, I love when the name of the player is under the number, as seen in one more detail below. As for the game itself, the All-Star starters will be announced tomorrow night on TNT!
Today, adidas and Derrick Rose announced the official launch of the Chicago Bulls superstar's sixth signature shoe - the D Rose 3.5. The home and away colorways can be viewed above, and the details from adidas below.
The D Rose 3.5 features a bold spiral overlay pattern is inspired by Derrick’s goal to tighten his game. The synthetic leather upper features the spiral protruding from the D Rose logo on the ankle to represent how his on and off-court success continues to grow from the support of his family, who inspired the logo. Chicago call-outs on the inside of the tongue showcase the essence of Rose, including a “Rooted in Chicago” graphic with lettering, colors and shapes inspired by his tattoos and the Chicago flag. The oversized tongue features a reflective overlay of the logo to illuminate and pop on and off the court.
To exceed the performance needs for Derrick’s unique style of play which includes extreme changes in direction, acceleration and explosiveness, adidas designers made the D Rose 3.5 more supportive, comfortable and responsive than its predecessor. The shoe fits even closer to the foot for faster cuts and features a SPRINTWEB upper engineered specifically for his style of play, which reduces weight with maximum support and breathability.
Additional performance features include an ergonomic ankle collar pocket to ensure maximum support during hard cuts and a breathable mesh tongue to improve comfort. SPRINTFRAME technology features an external heel counter to reduce weight and allow for energy return and motion control, giving Derrick his best performing signature shoe to date to improve his performance on court.
Love those Chicago influences. I can't say that enough. And with #TheReturn coming closer and closer, this would be the perfect time to pick up the same kicks that Rose will rock when he comes back. They'll be available for $160 on January 31st. Can't wait to see these out on the court!
For it's newest colorway of the Rose3.5, adidas pays homage to the Chinese New Year, with this snappy lookin' black/teal/gold version entitled "Year Of The Snake". No word on the official release yet, but I suspect it will take place around the actual Chinese New Year in 2013. Per usual, Google is there for me saying that date is February 10th.
Today, adidas released the final colorway of the D Rose 3, which made me sad because I can look at this shoe in all sorts of colors. But this one is different than the rest as the "Nightmare" edition boasts a purple base and patterned details throughout. I feel like Northwestern bball should rock these. What do you think of the purple Nightmares?
Big Sean's deal with adidas has taken one very nice step forward as the Detroit rapper is collaborating with the 3 stripes on a limited edition "Detroit Player" version of the Pro Model II.
The detailed photos above showcase the red with gold accents, complete with some custom odes to the G.O.O.D. Music emcee and his D-Town hometown. The shoe is available on December 1st, but only 380 pairs have been made, and they can only be copped at Detroit's Puffer Reds. I, however, would venture a guess that Big Sean & adidas collab on some sort of online giveaway. Not holding my breath, but I wouldn't be surprised.
"My true fans, they know, man. I'm never gonna stop. I know I got my family, my friends, and the city, behind me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my fans. They mean a lot to me. I can't thank them enough."
- Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose is "all in". And it's only fitting "all in" is the last episode of adidas' inspiring documentary series #TheReturn.
In this installment, Rose says he's at peace with himself and that he is working hard and being himself for the fans. As with everything D. Rose, you can really feel the genuine, authentic, realness to him. And the final quote will leave you moved. (It's not the quote above... you should watch and hear that one from Rose himself.)
Props to adidas, Rose, and the whole movement for truly becoming a movement - one that has been inspirational to countless amounts of people like myself. While we all don't play basketball, we all have struggles that parallel what Derrick is going through that we have to persevere through and rise above. When we see and feel that there are people out there persevering as well, it creates a motivating sense of unity, like, "hey, we're all in this together!" Yup, "all in" is fitting, indeed.
Memo to adidas: stop releasing cool colorways of the D Rose 3, I'm having a hard time deciding which pair I want to get.
Today, the new 'Brenda' colorway was released, following up on the 'Brenda' debut of the Rose 2's last season, which I was a big fan of. Likewise this season, I'm a big fan. Here are the details and inspiraton:
Dubbed “Brenda” the colorway pays homage to the most important person in Derrick’s life, his mother Brenda Rose. The red nubuck upper represents her favorite color, and the crackled grainy finish represents Derrick’s upbringing in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The inside of each tongue has a close-up print of the D Rose family story graphic featured in the D Rose apparel collection and launch colorways. The left tongue features an inscription of “Brenda” in stylized red script while the right features Derrick Rose’s lasered signature.
Above all, you gotta love the homage and respect that Derrick can pay towards his mother Brenda in this lens, amongst many more. Look out for the Brendas on November 19th!
Per usual for a holiday during the NBA season, the league has teamed up with adidas to create a special jersey for the occasion. Today, they revealed the "Big Color" uniforms featuring a monochromatic theme. Check out the various new threads above and who will be matched up against who on the NBA's biggest day in the first couple months of the season. The game most likely to cause temporary eye damage? New York's orange jerseys on the Lakers' purple and gold court. All kidding aside, I do like the one-time change for Christmas. I wonder how they're going to separate the Rockets and Bulls if the Bulls are already rocking the red. Whatever the case, it should be quite the Merry occasion!
