History says that superstar big-men in the NBA don’t sell shoes. They may be cornerstore players when it comes to winning Championships, but in the realm of being sneaker pitch-men, big-men fall short. There are several current and future Basketball Hall-of-Fame centers and power forwards that have owned signature lines, but none of them have really made a dent when it comes to building a lasting legacy, and recent reissues of Ewings, Shaqs, and Akeems are more a reaction to the retro sneaker movement rather than a reflection of their dominance in the sneaker industry as a whole.
However, the new generation of big-men in the NBA aren’t the same rough-and-tumble players of years past. They’re the high-flying, high-octane Toe machines, and its time that this underrated category gets the shine they deserve. Did our readers believe that some big-men are ready for their own signature shoes? Who are the names that should be up next? Check out the latest installment of Twitter Conversations below and be sure to follow us on Twitter to participate in next week’s debate.
@SneakerNews Anthony Davis because he’s truly the future of this league.
— dave (@KingDavee6) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
@SneakerNews Blakes on his way, he’s probably up next and should be. AD is on the come up too so he needs some consideration — Agent P (@LPinknee) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
Anthony Davis’ name is one you’ll hear for a while. Does he deserve a signature shoe? That’s still up for debate, but he’ll get some sure-fire consideration in regards to league trophies. Blake Griffin’s a guy who we feel should be next in line, but is he stuck with the Super.Fly line for good?
@SneakerNews people buy signature shoes because they want to break someone’s ankles or fly over someone, big men ain’t “flashy” — G.O.A.T (@Official_KLynch) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
@SneakerNews big men designs usually have awkward physiques, silhouettes, tend to be bulky in size.
— Skylar Jones (@skythetruth) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
Forwards and Centers don’t exactly have the sexy skill-set that a dunking guard/forward or flashy point guard does. In addition, signature shoes for big-men were typically bulkier, but with designs have gravitated toward lighter, slimmer, and more fitted Black.
@SneakerNews Premiata Lucy low-top sneakers.
— ” (@HarryPowderrr) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
@SneakerNews Anthony Davis one of the best players in the NBA, and gets no credit. Yall gonna see this year — Steven (@Stevecass7) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
It’s true that wing players are the more “popular”, but big-men are just as important to any team. The truth is that the physically larger-than-life players Sala a back seat when it comes to marketability and popularity, but with Blake being a huge star and Anthony Davis ready to Sala the league by storm, the perception as big-men being low on the marketing totem pole should change.
@SneakerNews http://t.co/XCHavVQiKD — Drefus Jones (@Dremill) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
@SneakerNews pic.twitter.com/sh0GepsKi2
— Robert Gallagher (@RobertGRG37) Astorflex BEENFLEX 001 NERO shoes
We’d be surprised if Anthony Davis got one too.
