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Player Profiles: The Legendary, The Past & The Present

857 days ago - by George Kiel III - 67 comments

Player Profiles

Who else is ready for Kicks On Court? Last week, we showcased three superstar point guards in our Player Profiles: The Legendary, The Past & The Present in hopes of preparing you for the upcoming 2009-2010 NBA season. Many of you stated that it was great to see classic signature lineups compared to shoe lineups of this decade.

Today, we dug into our archives and compiled extensive signature sneaker lines of three of the best shooting guards to ever play the game including Michael Jordan, Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway and Kobe Bryant. The majority of you can agree that some, if not all of your favorite basketball sneakers come from these three lines. With that said, click here to compare/contrast the extensive signature lines of these three superstar shooting guards.

In case you missed it, check out our Player Profiles: The Legendary, The Past & The Present involving Magic Johnson, Gary Payton and Chris Paul.

mjshot_large_0405

There are no words that could truly describe the basketball player that Michael Jordan is. Mentioning statistics, awards, or his six championships all fail when attempting to show MJ’s greatness. He single-handedly changed the game of basketball; Larry Bird say that he was just, “God disguised as Michael Jordan.” Maybe, to measure his greatness you must realize that every great player in NBA will have to be compared to Michael even though few will come close. Or maybe, we should just realize that modern day basketball would simply not be the same without number 23.

Nike, the modern day basketball giant, was having trouble breaking into the basketball market. Then someone answered their prayers as they signed Michael Jordan to what was about to become the greatest signature shoe line of all time. At the time of the Air Jordan I debut, most of the shoes in the NBA were predominantly white. The bold black and reds of the I caused the NBA to fine Jordan for wearing them each game. This controversy started the greatest signature line the world of basketball will ever know. From the Jordan I released in 1985 to the Air Jordan 2009, they are always the shoes with the highest demand. Regardless if Jordan is winning championships or enjoying his induction to the Hall of Fame, his signature line will live on.

Air Jordan I
1985

1_jordan_200

Air Jordan II
1986-87

2_j_200

Air Jordan III
1988

3_j_200

Air Jordan IV
1989

4_j_200

Air Jordan V
1990

5_j_200

Air Jordan VI
1990-91

6_j_200

Air Jordan VII
1991-92

7_j_200

Air Jordan VIII
1992-93

8_jordan_200

Air Jordan IX
1993-94

9_jorda_200

Air Jordan X
1994-95

10_j_200

Air Jordan XI
1995-96

11_j_200

Air Jordan XII
1996-97

12_j_200

Air Jordan XIII
1997-98

13_j_200

Air Jordan XIV
1998-99

14_j_200

Air Jordan XV
1999-2000

15_j_200

Air Jordan XVI
2000-01

16_j_200

Air Jordan XVII
2001-02

17_j_200

Air Jordan XVIII
2002-03

18_j_200

Air Jordan XIX
2004-05

19_j_200

Air Jordan XX
2005-06

20_j_200

Air Jordan XX1
2006-07

21_j_200

Air Jordan XX2
2007-08

22_j200

Air Jordan XX3
2008

23_j_200

Air Jordan 2009
2009

24_1


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  • trev

    MJ, penny and kobe what more can yu ask for?

  • dat

    mj and penny cool but kobe kicks dont compare

  • Vic

    All three had some nice kicks, and all three amazing players! Great work on the shooting guards!

  • Gabe

    that addidas: the kobe II from 2002 has to be the ugliest shoe ive ever seen…it looks like a damn spaceship lol

  • drakizzy

    HAHA adidas kobe II’s are so damn ugly. kobe’s nike line could definitely get better given time

  • tumadre

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! kobe ii’s? holy ish… inspired by nasa. those sneakers make me feel ugly … and im a pretty ugly dude. imgaine thaatt.

  • tumadre

    Big ups to nice kicks tho.. mj and penny and kobe are greattt. safe to say penny and jordan had better kicks tho. just my opinion.

  • Dustin Rhodes

    i think Lebron has better looking kicks than Kobe

  • theGR8hope

    definitely a good move for Kobe to jump to Nike. If those adidas didn’t eat him first they would’ve certainly got his ankles broken. 2 thums up on the mikes and pennys. wore my 5′s today.

  • Johnny b good

    Those Adidas top ten 2000 aint have bad.

  • G-wine

    this article was so good I had to commenty first one, Penny was my favorite player since he came out of Memphis. his shoes are the best of any players in my opnion, I’ll take his #1′s over Jordans #4′s anyday

  • Fam

    All kicks aside, Penny was the realest when he played the 1, I don’t consider him a 2 guard yall.

  • Shawti P

    air flight one, air flight one….i used to love them joints. A cold a$z hooping shoe

  • klsdfjlkjflks

    Kobe had another shoe by Adidas between the crazy 8 and the Adidas kobe 1 during 1999

  • BANG!

    LOL at adidas KB 2s ..How can you ball in those ?!

  • Romeo

    NO OTHER SHOE LINE MORE PRODIGIOUS THAN THAT OF MJ’S

  • FreeBaller

    are the adidas kobe II’s for real?

  • nupe1911

    Yeah, I have to agree. Penny was the truth as a point guard. He hated playing the 2. That was Orlando’s way of marketing him to be a Jordan. Most people on here are too young to remember, but Penny was as big as Lebron is now. People loved Penny. I looked up to him more than Jordan himself. That was an exciting time in basketball. We had Jordan in his prime, Karl and Stock, GP and Kemp, a young Shaq, Reggie, David, Ewing, and the list goes on, Damn those were the days.

  • RETRO5S

    these are the three greatest lines of ALL TIME. except kobe’s weird adidas…haha.

    and good thing NK didn’t put ALL of the kobe IV colorways. that would be a loooong page.

  • D

    i hear ya nupe1911. late 80′s early/mid 90′s the NBA was at its best.

  • DB

    kobe III was tuff but mike wins it all..penny hardaway got some flamin kicks tho. cnt hate

  • Foul Law

    Air Jordan is the best.
    Definitely a good move.. Adidas to Nike. This article missed KB8 II, KB III and EQT Elevation.

  • AIR PENNY

    AIR PENNY!!!!!!! ;-)

    THE ORIGINAL AND BEFORE KOBE AND DWADE!!!

    AIR PENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

  • bassi

    did kobe ever ball in the kobe 2 moon shoes? i had them back in high school and i had no idea how u can run with them on.. lol

  • Road

    Look at those wraps on Kobe’s ankles… no wonder his ankles were safe using the IV’s all season.

  • ThaWindy

    The KB8 was by far the best shoe Kobe had with Adidas..downhill from there. How in the world did they release them 01 and 02 joints. That designer shld have been banded from designing anything after those things. He shouldn’t be allowed to draw anything!

    Penny was the guy under Mike.

    When hooping as a kid if someone said, “I’m Mike” the next kid yelled, “I’m Penny”. Then an argument started!

  • tl

    the “Nike Air Flight 96″ are actually called “Nike Air GO LWP” (excellent basketball sneaker)

  • Scott Marcos

    the kobe PE shoes in adidas were not complete. the adidas elevation (he wore in the dunk contest) was not there

  • Sidestep

    The picture of the Kobe hyperdunk you have there isn’t the hybrid version, just the supreme. They never actually released the hybrid version I think.

  • PhuckAcloset iGottaRoom4kix

    jordans 17-20 really sucked and kobe better be glad penny hardaway got hurt and george shin was an idiot for trading kibe bryant for vlade divac

  • PhuckAcloset iGottaRoom4kix

    yeah the only tight kobes really weren’t his shoes and those were the 04-05 hurraches and the laker cw jordans he usta rock.
    IM JUST GLAD THEY FINALLY GAVE LEBRON A DECENT SHOE. THIS YEAR WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR I BOUGHT A PAIR OF LEBRONS

  • MJSF

    my faves:
    Air Jordan J I-VI, IX-XIV, XVI-XVIII & XX1-XX3

    Penny 1, 2 & Foam 1
    Kobe ZK1, Adidas KB8 & Kobe 1

    nice list btw

  • kara

    i wanna ask for pippen :P

  • leo

    MATT or anyone from Nicekicks staff or anyone knowledgeable, who wore the foamposite pros?

  • hyestylekid

    wow great list never really likedtoo much of the kobe line may be his first 2 adidas releases and his huarache releases

  • Mr. Slate

    Trhe kb 8 is the truth. The jordans are classic, pennys are forever.

  • Mexiking

    kobes kicks are trash ….i think penny comes somewhat close to jordan n then the list jus ends there…. everyone else jus had one or two sneakers but not more than that

  • 23wins

    Penny may have had a great shoe line, but he’s far from one of the best shooting guards to ever play

  • datbul

    kobe from the burbs he dont know what dope kicks look like.

  • JordanAmbassador4Life

    Kobe’s kick are far from memorable except the hyperdunks.

  • d.knott01(detroit fresh)

    penny was never really a shooting guard. his best years were spent running point.

  • MIA. 385

    kobe is better then jordan by fare not even close

  • Retro3

    The KOBE IIs years are wrong

  • John

    PENNY’s !!!!!!

  • Classick

    Nike Hyperdunk/Kobe IV Hybrid PE is sick in Taxi cab……..sick shoe to ball in…but AJIII are nice

  • jr_lyon

    The second shoes they have listed for penny are the Nike Air Go LWP

  • jr_lyon

    The Adidas Elevation should be the first or second shoes for kobe. They are the ones he wore in the slam dunk competition

  • atomicsushi

    damn kobe those spaceships? hahaha i saw lebron wear em when he was in high school. i remember it also had an american flag motiff. ugly.

  • throwsticks

    i actually had the Kobe II in Yellow & Dark Gray

  • Robert L.

    I was a huge penny fan if he never hurt his ankle he might have been right up there with mike, only the Penny IV’s were suspect. His game was so smooth he made two guards and small forwards want to play point. Kobe IV’s low best indoor sneaker. if you turn your ankle you’ll do it in high tops or lows.

  • Chris

    Man the Penny’s 1-3 are classics and the AJ 11′s will always be my favorite J’s!! The Kobe’s 1 and 4′s are the best!!

  • aka11.5

    pennys & 1/2 cents all day everyday………

  • rog123

    Where are iversons?? Or is this all about nike

  • air philippines

    the adidas eqt elevation (part of the feet you wear line) is missing from the list.

  • Dixon Syder

    I heard Kobe’s space boots were designed by Audi or one of their designers. Is that true?
    J

  • tigga

    after the KB8 its missing out the KB8 II’s which were black white and purple with feet you wear tech’ and after thaaat its also missing out the KB8 IIIs which were primarily black with adidas lines slashed in the side, surely all da kobe fans should know these shoes? and then the kobes were designed based on the Audi TT, remember the adverts ?! and even though the kobe IIs look like a space shoe dere a nice ballin shoe, very springy and comfy if a little boxy……..PEace”

  • K.Free (ODB)

    Yo where the Half cent’s at???

  • greenmaker24

    great stuff

  • bag$

    foamposite 1′s

  • necya

    air Jordan I, III, IV, V, VII, XI,XII, XIV
    air Penny I, II, III, Foamposite one, air up, air flight, JO 96
    kobe who? not in the same sphere IMO

  • Ano

    jordan V, VII, XII, XX3 are nice. Kobe’s are ugly. Those AJ X’s look a lot like the 60+.

  • Ano

    Kobe’s sig only has the Kobe I and the Hyperdunks. I like the Huraches tho…

  • Willay

    Kobes adias are the gross ish get those outttt, went to NIKE and they did em right…

  • biggsby the sneaker dude

    The Adidas Kobe 2s aare the ugliest shoes ever next to the Jordan 15. Hands down.

  • Mars

    No Iverson?

  • NikelikeMe

    DWayne WADE!!

  • NikelikeMe

    freak a iverson

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