LeBron James attends the Nike Kyrie 1 launch event Wednesday night.
by Brandon Richard
The latest player to come up big on the storied Madison Square Garden stage is Kyrie Irving, who went off for a season-high 37 points in a victory over the New York Knicks last night. Irving sealed the deal with a clutch layup in a game that also marked the on-court debut of his very first signature shoe, the Nike Kyrie 1. Was it the shoes? A close spectator of Irving's big night, teammate LeBron James seems to think so.
When asked about Irving's performance on the night of the Kyrie 1 debut at the Garden, James told reporters, "That's what we do at Nike."
Short and simple, but James made his point. And he knows a thing or two about impressive performances in signature sneaker line debuts. In 2003, an 18-year old James had a line of 25 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds in his first game playing in Nike's Air Zoom Generation.
Irving is a hell of a player, and while the shoes may not be the reason for his game in the literal sense, it's very likely that he wanted to make a memorable first impression as a signature athlete. Job well done.
images via ESPN
