SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

words_Nick DePaula

It’s hard to even believe, but as it stands now — don’t expect any commemorative shoes from Nike to celebrate the many athletes that played in the now concluded 2008 NBA Finals. David Stern sent down the orders The Celtics fought hard and relied on their stingy defense to frustrate the poor-shooting Laker guards and disappearing act LA frontline, and Paul Pierce led the team he hated most growing up in LA to a title.

Yet you won’t be able to buy a general release, quickstrike or even size 6 special edition of the Nike Max Pierce IV he wore throughout the entire season and during the playoffs. Not in the white/green colorway worn during the (very) decisive Game 6 win last night. Not even in the road black/green colorway Pierce wore all year long away from the Garden. The Max Pierce series is a shoe Nike annually designs, develops and manufactures — in size 15 — for Pierce to singularly wear on-court, yet it’s only released in Kid’s sizes up to 6. For a grown man who respects the struggles Pierce fought through in Boston, whether it’s the awful years of playing alongside Ricky Davis and Mark Blount, or the frightening near-death stabbing he fell victim to, apparently Nike doesn’t want you to support the man. They’re not selling his shoes.

Not at Foot Locker. Not at Champs. Not online. Not even at Nike’s cherished House of Hoops in Harlem.

When Kobe Bryant won league MVP several weeks ago, Nike was quick to offer up a black and gold ‘MVP’ tee that featured his Sheath logo in subtle style. Celebrities wore the tee throughout southern California, and the first-time MVP said all the right things as he hoped to lead his inexperienced crew through the Finals. Yet it was the white/canyon gold/purple Zoom Kobe III’s that he wore that night, featuring a modified Sheath logo that showcased text reading ‘MVP’ along the tongue. The faux snakeskin toe cap and heel counter only added to the luxury of what could have been a collector’s item for years to come. And while the 81 Point-honoring Zoom Kobe 1’s illogically released in 2007 only in size 14, the most loyal of fans would still take that. Something. Anything. We’re all fans of shoes, and with Kobe as one of Nike’s premier athletes we’re all demanding more than twenty-four pairs of a Vladimir Radmonovic-worn colorway of the Hyperdunk. Kobe Bryant had perhaps one of the greatest resurgences in the past decade, battling his own uncertain trade demands, lucking into a mid-season trade for an actual starting forward, and leading his team beyond anyone’s expectations deep into the playoffs.

And I can’t buy a shoe to remember the run. As the Laker colorway of the Zoom Kobe II tanked HARD at retail — this might have realistically been Nike’s best shot to capitalize on releasing a Laker-themed colorway. Yet no plans were made as far as we know.

Last year, the lack of commemorative footwear seemed excusable as LeBron’s Cavs somewhat stumbled surprisingly into the NBA Finals before being blown the hell out by Mr. Longoria et al. If Nike didn’t plan for LeBron to make it that far into the playoffs, I totally believe them. But a Celtics vs. Lakers series has been orchestrated by league brass a highly anticipated potential match-up since the season started. A battle for the ages. A non-stop glory day flashback opportunity for ESPN Classic. A ridiculous marketing opportunity for Nike to push their two most accomplished players this season: Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce. Look beyond the commercials — it wasn’t Lebron.

Which is why it’s startling that mid-series during the Finals, two colorways of the Nike Zoom Soldier II released at the House of Hoops, furthering the LeBron hype machine — but leaving out the league’s two title-contending team leaders. Not a rumor was heard regarding any Laker or Celtic-related Nike quickstrikes, and it was adidas that made the first move, launching an insanely limited version of the Commander KG for $1017, unreasonably cashing in on Da Kid’s (he can be 50 and I’ll call him that) Finals visibility as well as their overly branded NBA partnership.

Maybe if we’re lucky — we’ll be hit off with a hot quickstrike of Ray Allen’s dreadfully dated TGIM.

Maybe.