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Good to see some cross promotion going on for the good cause. The shoes are simply amazing.
Here is the press release:
BEAVERTON, Ore – In celebration of the 35th year-anniversary of Black History Month, Nike, Converse and Jordan Brand will come together on the hardwood to unveil special designed shoes that various top NBA athletes will wear on court on Monday, January 17, 2011.
In addition, NIKE, Inc. is announcing a new limited-edition Black History Month 2011 Collection featuring Nike Basketball, Nike Sportswear, Converse and Jordan Brand products inspired by its most iconic and pioneering athletes – Kobe Bryant, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and Michael Jordan. In keeping with a tradition of honoring this holiday by giving back to organizations that work to inspire youth towards greatness, NIKE, Inc. will make a significant financial contribution to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters at http://www.bbbs.org.
“We are bringing together our top basketball brands and athletes to celebrate this important day and month,” said Craig Zanon, Nike Vice President and General Manager, Global Basketball. “We’re also shining a spotlight on three of the game’s most pioneering spirits: Kobe Bryant, ‘”Dr. J”, and Michael Jordan by creating product inspired by them.”THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH ON COURT CELEBRATION
On January 17, 2011, Nike, Inc. basketball athletes from 26 teams playing 13 games will wear key Nike, Converse, and Jordan Brand basketball performance shoes fashioned in black and gold on the court in honor of the holiday.
THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2011 COLLECTION
This collection of footwear and apparel celebrates pioneering athletes Kobe Bryant, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and Michael Jordan who each made major impacts on their sport both on and off the court. It is inspired by their amazing careers and the iconic moments that altered the course of sports history. For Kobe, besides his championships, it was in ’06 when he scored 81 points in a single game. For Erving, that moment was unifying the ABA and NBA ushering in a new era of offense with his foul line dunk during the ‘76 ABA All-Star Dunk Contest, and his “Rock the Baby” dunk during the ’83 NBA championships. For Jordan, in addition to winning six championships, it was winning the ’87 Slam Dunk title with flair that inspired kids everywhere. To symbolize their legacies, the collection highlights:
- Modern Gold to represent all three pioneers’ championship call to greatness.
- Historic Black to recall the black Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers commonly worn by basketball pioneers in the 1960s; bestowing black sneakers with a magical aura.
- Black African-American Handcraft to celebrate classic African-American art.
Other highlights include four limited-edition iconic footwear models: the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, Air Force 1, Air Jordan III, and Converse Star Player, along with the NSW Destroyer jacket and NSW Dri-FIT tee.
The Converse Star Player will be available at Converse specialty stores, select retailers nationwide, and Converse.com; whereas the Air Force 1, NSW Destroyer jacket and NSW Dri-FIT tee will be available at Nike Sportswear at 21 Mercer and select Nike Sportswear retailers nationwide starting February 12, 2011.
The Nike Zoom Kobe VI and the Air Jordan III will be available in NikeTown stores, select retailers nationwide, and Nike.com starting February 26, 2011
