OKC Thunder notebook: Debate emerges in Denver on Kevin Durant's shoes

There's a growing trend throughout the NBA. Players wearing Durant's signature shoes. Not Thunder players. Opposing players.
By Darnell Mayberry Published: January 9, 2014

There's a growing trend throughout the NBA.

Players wearing Kevin Durant's signature shoes.

Not Thunder players. Opposing players.

Denver has at least two players who routinely wear Durant's line of “KDs,” forward Wilson Chandler and center Timofey Mozgov.

But should players wear them against Durant?

“We were actually having a conversation about that with the players,” said Nuggets coach Brian Shaw. “When I came (into the NBA) in 1988, shortly after that, (Michael) Jordan started with his Jordan One. They only made them in red, white and black, Bulls colors. I remember Nike wouldn't let you wear his shoes. They only let him wear it. You could order them through your account, but you couldn't wear them in games.

“And then, when they started making different colors, they started allowing guys to wear them in games. Obviously, the most important thing is that it's a shoe that fits your foot and (if) you're comfortable in it then you'll want to wear it. But I always thought that that gave; like being on the Lakers, when guys would wear Kobe (Bryant's) shoes when we were playing against them, he always would, in his mind, feel ‘I got him because he's wearing my shoes.' So the guys who do wear KD's, we were talking yesterday, ‘Are you really going to wear those tomorrow when we play him?' So it was a debate back and forth about the comfort of the shoe as opposed to what message it sends when you're wearing a guy's shoes.”

Durant downplayed the potential psychological advantage angle.

“I've seen a few guys wear my shots,” he said. “It's flattering to me. I don't really look at it as an advantage at all. More so, it's just cool seeing “KD” on other guys' shoes, because I've grown up watching people wear Jordans and play in Jordans. And now, to have my own signature shoe and have my peers wearing it, it's pretty fun to see.”

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by Darnell Mayberry
OKC Thunder Senior Reporter
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