...a tradition of hope, passion, and misery
The kind, money-printing folks at Nike have released a new “Inside Access” video with their latest subject being Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving.
“Anywhere I go or any accomplishment I get, I bring it back to Cleveland… I just want to win a championship with a great team and be a part of something special.”
[Related: Three years the wiser, Cavaliers admit past mistakes and set the stage for the future]
Rife with replica Jordan releases and technology that continues to grow by leaps and bounds, Nike will soon be testing the pain threshold of sneaker aficionados by placing a $315 price tag on a version of the upcoming LeBron X, the signature shoe of former Cavalier small forward LeBron James.
Nike is citing an increased cost in labor, matierials and shipping costs to account for a portion of the price hike. A representative of SportsOneSource, per ESPN’s Darren Rovell, estimates that Nike will only make roughly 50,000 pairs of the high-end sneaker that will come complete with motion sensors to track various metrics including how high the individual wearing them jumps at any point in time. For those who opt to forgo the in-sole technology, the price point will be reduced to $180, a ten-dollar increase from the Flywire and Hyperfuse-laced LeBron 9s.
In 1986, Nike’s Air Jordan II broke the $100 basketball sneaker barrier, dropping the jaws of parents across the nation. In 2002, the company hit the $200 price tag when it released the Air Jordan XVII.
[Related: Cavaliers Rank 101st in ESPN’s “Uniform Power Ranking]
(Source: Wall Street Journal)
The Brown jerseys apparently still exist! Flyware collar. Combat padding. And for a better look at the gloves, we got you covered.
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(Photos via Paul Lukas and Matt Loede)
I am always surprised how much people love jersey and uniform talk. Well, I’ll keep the talk to a minimum. Here are Nike’s uniforms for Ohio State this year in their 2011 Pro Combat series.
Over the last three days, no Cavs-related story has been hotter than Cleveland’s so-called “response” to the LeBron James-adled Nike commercial titled “Rise.”
From outlets like ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption to CBS’s hoops blog penned by Matt Moore, the response to the, um, “response” has been overwhelmingly positive. PTI called the Wantz piece “brilliant,” and Moore stated that if “zings were weapons, it would be an atomic bomb.” The multimedia mavens over at The Basketball Jones said though it took two weeks for Cleveland to reply, it was “well worth the wait.”
The only catch is that it didn’t take two weeks.
It only took a matter of days for Cleveland to respond, at least in the eyes of local comedian Chad Zumock whose response to James hit the Internet’s shelves on October 29th – almost one full week before the now viral video created by Wantz. [Read more...]
LeBron’s first major advertisement after his fall from grace this summer was widely heralded as a masterful piece of propaganda and art, a Don Draper original. Clevelanders snickered at the message that seemed to admit some mistakes but also avoid fault or blame. The most glaring omission, for Ohioans, was any reference or mention in an apologetic tone to his home state and the region where he played his first 7 years. Jim Rome, of all people, articulated this criticism as well as anyone. Local filmmaker Dan Wantz endeavored to communicate that criticism in a retort video that went viral yesterday.
LeBron’s response last night when asked about the video? ”It was all right. They could’ve did a better job.” Not sure where he is trying to go with that one.
In the world of pop culture, perhaps no source of entertainment better has their finger on the pulse than South Park. The longtime animated series on Comedy Central is certainly no stranger to taking on more serious issues of the day from religion to politics to disasters, but they also aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and roll around in the mud. [Read more...]
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com
More chicken/egg: “Ok, ok, ok. I’ve had to sit there for two whole weeks and read rumor after rumor about who’s coming in as the next coach of our Cleveland Cavaliers, who’s not coming in, and what LeBron James has to do with it all. Enough is enough. We are not in a position to hire a frontline head coach until LeBron signs, or doesn’t sign. Simple as that.” [David O'Leary/Stepien Rules]
The image above is of the infamous “We Are All Witnesses” billboard that is featured across from Quicken Loans Arena. Though while it still predominantly features LeBron James in the midst of his chalk toss, the tagline has been changed to “One For All.” [Read more...]
This is not an April Fools Joke. I know you think it is, but it’s not…..not exactly, anyway. It’s more of an ironic play on words that coincidentally falls on April 1. In case you haven’t heard, LeBron James and Nike have agreed on a long term contract extension. Terms of the deal have not been announced, but reports indicate it is another 7 year deal.
For Cavalier fans, this deal is a rare win in the game of reading LeBron’s words and actions for clues about his future. It’s a win because the deal does not contain a location clause which would escalate the value of the deal if LeBron signed with a team in a major market such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. LeBron’s first deal with Nike, signed before he was even drafted, contained a clause which would have paid him more money had he signed a deal with a major market team in 2007 when he first could have become a restricted free agent. [Read more...]
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com
LeBron, Unplugged: “I want that arrogance. I want that supreme confidence. I want LeBron to admit he can do whatever the hell he wants on a basketball court. Could he average a triple double? Look at his numbers; he’s pretty much doing it already in the month of March (28.4 points, 8.8 assists, 8.2 rebounds). Could he win the next 10 scoring titles if that was his wish? Yes, and there aren’t enough Kevin Durant jumpers to convince me otherwise.
I love that I saw that from LeBron. I love that he was candid in a REAL way and not in some packaged, laminated product he was trying to push onto me.” [Zach Harper/Hardwood Paroxysm]
Remember those leaked-turned-photoshopped New York colorways of LeBron James Nike Air Max VII? Well, it turns out that they may not have been as fake as Nike wanted the world to think.
While they do not have the “I Heart New York” logo placed on the bottom of the heel – or question mark insoles - like the previously altered images, there will in fact be a royal blue and orange colorway of the LeBron James shoe. This edition will be one of four colorways that the shoe company will release that plays off of his pending free agency.
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com
We’re admittedly a few days late on this, but… Who wants to buy some DVDs?
I have no clue what made me think of it, but last I was reminded of the Nike commercial that came out the night of LeBron’s first ever NBA game. The game was being played in Sacramento that night seven years ago, and in order to help celebrate the launching of this iconic career.
I still remember that night vividly, and I have always loved this commercial and thought it was incredibly well done. Still to this day it’s one of my favorite LeBron commercials.
But in re-watching that commercial last night on YouTube for the first time in seven years, a few funny/interesting things stood out to me. [Read more...]
The basketball world was abuzz last week when photos of LeBron James’ Air Max VIIs were allegedly “leaked.” The images were of a blue and orange colorway that could have been passed off as Cavaliers throwbacks – at least until the image of the sole had the infamous I Heart NY graphic with the James logo of a lion replacing the heart.
Unfortunately for Knicks fans as well as those who cannot get enough scandal or controversy, The NY Post reports that the shoes are in fact a hoax and stemmed from an eBay auction. [Read more...]
Yes, it is indeed getting old. Correction – it got old a while ago. But, LeBron’s affinity for NYC won’t go to the back burner any time soon, even though he says he won’t be talking about 2010 anymore. No need to say anything when your shoez do the talking though – AMIRITE LEBRON?!
LeBron’s got a new Hardwood Classic version of his Air Max LeBron VII Lows out right now. They’re not red like the mockups that were shown online earlier in the month. They’re old school Cavs colors. You know, blue and orange. Check them out, they’re not bad. But wait, what’s that on the bottom?!
Say it ain’t so, Nike. :[ [Read more...]
Last year around this time, we featured different Christmas Day versions that many stars donned on their feet during their respective games. Of course, two of those “stars” were LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as each had updated versions of their Nike line. Recall James’ “Chalk” version of the Zoom VIs.
This year, we will be treated to even more Christmas Day shoes as Nike will unveil special versions of both the Air Max LeBron VII and the Air Kobe V. You may have seen the LeBron sneakers in pupper form in the latest holiday-centric MVPuppets commercial; the real life version will be worn for the 5PM tipoff at the Staples Center, flyware and all.
Obviously, the Air Max LeBron VII’s helped Puppet LBJ throw it down on Blitzen. Here’s to them helping the real version do the same on Kobe and Company. More images of LeBron’s Air Max VIIs courtesy of Nike after the jump… [Read more...]
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Perhaps this tweet from NotEricMangini was more telling than I thought: “The Browns today took a look at another ex-Jet, Justin Miller, who was cut loose earlier this week, reportedly for missing a team meeting. [...] The Browns have a roster spot open after placing Shaun Rogers on the IR, so the potential for Miller to revive his career in a more midwestern dark, dank obscurity is certainly there.” [The OBR]
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