A Signature Beginning // Nike Air Garnett
After proving his dominance with a virtuosity the league hadn’t seen since Charles Barkley, Garnett was granted his own signature shoe. He helped fill the void Michael Jordan left after retirement, and allowed Nike Basketball to thrive in markets where their influence wasn’t nearly as prominent. The Nike Air Garnett was instrumental in not only setting the tone for consumer awareness, but expanding Nike’s roster to up and coming stars. Nike also introduced new television ads with “The Big Ticket” as a head interrogator of the Fun Police. It was an instant hit.
The shoe originally released in 1998 with a premium tumbled leather upper, KG’s name scripted across the heel tab and encapsulated Swoosh branding at the rear paneling. It was also this season when Garnett signed his six-year, $127 million extension with Minnesota.
