How Wilson Chandler Really Got the Vlone x Nike Air Force 1

Wilson Chandler clarifies whether or not he left a game at halftime to buy sneakers.

Wilson Chandler VLONE x Nike Air Force 1 Halftime
USA Today Sports

Image via Mark J. Rebilas USA Today Sports

Wilson Chandler VLONE x Nike Air Force 1 Halftime

Last night, Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler sent Sneaker Twitter into a frenzy when he claimed to have left the game against the New York Knicks at halftime to purchase the Vlone x Nike Air Force 1. For many reasons, the scenario seemed far-fetched, especially considering that the round trip to the pop-up shop in Harlem couldn't have been made in the 15 minutes before play resumed. However, when asked to double down on the claim by a fan, Wilson did just that.

After seeing that so many people took the story seriously, including a few sports writers, Chandler clarified that it was a joke on Twitter early this morning. Furthermore, he spoke with Sole Collector about the situation ahead of the Nuggets game against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier tonight.

"It was just a joke," said Chandler. "My guy brought them to the game, so I got them them at the game.” He added that he didn't expect the story to take off, but thought it was funny when it did.

Wilson Chandler VLONE x Nike Air Force 1

Is there any pair of shoes that Chandler would leave a game to buy? “No, I couldn’t jeopardize my career for a pair of shoes," he told us. “I would probably get suspended for a few games.”

The Vlone x Nike Air Force 1 released exclusively in Harlem yesterday and is already selling for $2,000 on the second-hand market. There's also an unreleased high-top version, which Chandler says would also be nice to have.

In past years, Chandler was one of the NBA's biggest on-court sneakerheads, wearing rare retros, customs and exclusives. However, in more recent seasons, he's settled into performance models. For him, the decision to switch things up was just a matter of being more mindful of his health.

“Off the court, I just keep it retro. Air Force 1s, retro Jordans, stuff like that. On the court, I just go more for comfort. With the ankle injuries I had, it’s just better to go with the new technology Nike is doing right now."