words_Nick DePaula

The NBA season is finally getting underway tonight, and here we have a look at several of the shoes that players were wearing while the games didn’t count. Be on the lookout for Sneaker Watch to make its triumphant return now that the L is back for good!

The goggled Amar’e Stoudemire looks to be ready for the new year and is showing off a nice colorway of the Nike Hyperize that he’ll start the season in.

While we saw a TON of Zoom Kobe IVs on Lakers players as the team journeyed through the Playoffs, we’ve already begun to see the shoe on players around the league this preseason. From the littlest of guys in Nate Robinson to Martell Webster, Andre Iguodala and even centers like Ronny Turiaf and Nazr Mohammed, everyone has been seen in the Zoom Kobe IV.

Jordan Farmar gets by former teammate Vlad Radmanovic in a clean pair of adidas TS Cut Creators.

Wilson Chandler appears to have moved on from wearing Pony sneakers. We’ll have more on the full story when the time is right, and for now, Will The Thrill is wearing the Nike Blue Chip II.

While he hasn’t been perhaps the greatest teammate this summer, Stephen Jackson is still down for the cause in repping Protege, as he’s seen here debuting their new visible air cushioning system.

Nothing says preseason like ill-advised low percentage running jumpers in the lane. Nicely done DJ Augustin. And nice Elements.

Andrew Bynum recently joined the Protege movement as well, and he’ll wear their higher end Edge line all season.

What we’re unsure about and have been looking into over the past week is why Al Harrington of all people has been wearing the Nike Blue Chip II and Zoom Kobe IV during the preseason. Harrington, of course, is the founder of Protege.

CP3 steps off the bus to help out during the NBA Cares “Week Of Service” wearing a fresh pair of Mr. Boober’s Doernbecher Jordan 1. Great look!!

The past few years we’ve noticed non-sig players taking things upon themselves and playing around with NIKE iD more often than ever. Check out Nate Robinson’s iD Zoom Kobe IVs and CDR’s Zoom Flight V’s below.

While Yi Jianlian looks to have bulked up a bit and is hoping to finally have an impactful season — all logic is shattered in this picture as Jared Jeffries is balling in Jordan 1 Retro Mids. What. The. Hell. It’s 2009 Jared.

There’s zero chance this play didn’t end with a Carmelo Anthony basket and an Adam Morrison shrug.

OUCH. This is definitely not a good sign of support in the Nike Hyperize for rookie Stephen Curry.

What’s more impressive? Lou Amundson showing some bounce as he gets to the basket, or the total lack of combined care between Jerryd Bayless and Juwan Howard?

While not necessarily pegged as a performance shoe, Corey Maggette and several other NBA players have been showing the adidas Drop Top love on-court.

On the other hand, you could be Hasheem Thabeet and throw terms like “modern performance” and “cushioning technology” entirely out of the window. Can’t say I ever expected to see the Jordan 60+ on an NBA court.

This picture is FULL OF AWKWARD. Nevertheless, we get a nice glimpse of Sean Marks not in a seated setting, and wearing the new Nike Cradle Rock Low.

And lastly, Rasheed Wallace fittingly caught in the classic Sheed Man pose. Now come on Nike, drop some damn Green/White AF1 Highs!!!

Here’s to a great season of NBA ball!!!

As a special bonus, shout out to forum member ‘killermamba’ who got his picture taken with Michael Beasley recently down in Houston this past summer. [On a dated camera phone, explaining the poor quality.] Mike seems to have on quite the fit, as he’s rocking a tee that reads “Hi Times With Bob Marley,” is holding a pair of black/carolina Fusion IIIs, and according to ‘killermamba,’ he was wearing black/red Countdown Jordan XI’s. We’re not sure what to make of the entire scene.