words // Brandon Richard
On Friday night, the NBA's youngest stars came together at the Toyota Center for the 2013 Rising Stars Challenge. As usual, it was a low defense, high scoring affair, with Charles Barkley's Team Chuck dominating from the onset to grab a 163-135 victory over Team Shaq. Game MVP honors went to Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth "Manimal" Faried, who scored 40 points and grabbed 10 rebounds with several Dunk Contest previews to boot.
The night also provided the perfect platform for several players to debut special All-Star footwear, and the league's youth did not disappoint. MVP Faried, Damian Lillard, Ricky Rubio, Harrison Barnes and Brandon Knight stood out in adidas' Impact Camo Crazy Light 2 and Crazy Fast. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist put in his first Air Jordan XX8 run, while Kawhi Leonard kept it simple in the Air Flight One. Nike athletes laced up the Lunar Hyperdunk, Zoom Hyperfuse, Hyperdisruptor and Soldier VI in custom colorways. Anthony Davis debuted Air Max Barkley Posite from the NSW Area 72 Collection. Kemba Walker held it down for Under Armour in a Charge BB PE and Isaiah Thomas repped "Houston" in Kamikazes. Andrew Nicholson rounds out the group in PEAK.
These kicks and more in this Rising Stars Challenge edition of NBA Sneaker Watch.
Kenneth Faried - adidas Crazy Fast "All-Star"
Kyrie Irving - Nike Lunar Hyperdunk PE
Kawhi Leonard - Nike Air Flight One
Isaiah Thomas - Reebok Kamikaze II "Houston"
Klay Thompson - Nike Lunar Hyperdunk PE
Damian Lillard - adidas Crazy Fast "All-Star"
Chandler Parsons - Nike Lunar Hyperdunk
Dion Waiters - Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2012 Low PE
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Air Jordan XX8
Harrison Barnes - adidas Crazy Fast "All-Star"
Nikola Vucevic - Nike Zoom Soldier VI PE
Brandon Knight - adidas adizero Crazy Light 2 "All-Star"
Tristan Thompson - Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2012 PE
Andrew Nicholson - PEAK Relentless
Alexey Shved - Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2012 Low
Ricky Rubio - adidas adizero Crazy Light 2 "All-Star"
Bradley Beal - Nike Zoom Hyperdisruptor PE
Kemba Walker - Under Armour Charge BB Low PE
Anthony Davis - Nike Air Max Barkley Posite "Area 72"
Anthony Davis - Nike Air Max Barkley Posite "Area 72"