While a lottery run with the Los Angeles Lakers probably wasn't Isaiah Thomas had in mind while he worked his way back to the court this season, it does give him an opportunity to wear his favorite sneakers in the uniforms they were originally designed to be worn with.
For tonight's game against the Sacramento Kings, Thomas brought back the "POP" Nike Zoom Kobe 4, a popular release from 2009 that hasn't been re-released since. When not in the current Kobe A.D. Mid,, Thomas has spent majority of this season playing in the Kobe 4, but this outing didn't go as planned. In sneaker lingo, the sole of his left shoe 'started talking' mid-game, which means the age-dried sole detached from the upper.
Isaiah Thomas suffers a sole separation on his Kobes pic.twitter.com/EcR4ZzGGDz
If you're experiencing a little déjà vu, it's probably because Vince Carter suffered the same fate earlier this week when he took the court in his Nike Shox VC4 signature model. With a variety factors to take into consideration, it's impossible to predict how vintage sneakers will hold up on the court, and quite honestly, it's surprising that it doesn't happen more often with so many players using their personal collections for game shoes.
Thomas finished the game in a new "Lakers" Kobe A.D. Mid PE.