Slim's Sneaker History

It's been a while since I've written about kicks, as nothing new has really caught my eye enough to inspire a post. So I've decided to take a moment to let you in on how my sneaker obsession began. I'm sure you're just dying to know. I trace the obsession back to my days in the first grade, when my good friend Ryan, of Half Court Heave fame, moved in next door to the Mayfields on good ole Shuman Lane in Finneytown.

Up until this point, I had never owned a pair of Nike Airs and it wasn't until I saw Ryan and his older brother rocking them that I began to covet them more than anything else in the world. My desire to own a pair grew so strong that one time, while eating at a restaurant with my family, I noticed a waitress wearing some and loudly exclaimed, "She's wearing Nike Airs!"

One morning after a sleepover at Ryan's house, I noticed a pair of black and white Nike Air trainers sitting in the basement. They were an old pair of Ryan's brother's shoes and they fit me perfectly. I asked if I could buy them, despite being pretty worn in, and before long a deal was struck for $5-10. It should also be noted that after Alonzo Mourning was traded to Miami, I bought my second Starter jacket from his brother which was a Miami Heat pullover.

I remember walking around in my used kicks and looking at the Nike Air logo on the back of my heel to soak in the glory of wearing a true pair of Nike Airs. Yeah, I was a dweeb. From this point on, an obsession was born. The obsession wouldn't be fully realized until after graduating college, but the seed had been planted nonetheless.

If I still have your attention, take a moment to marvel at some of the freshest sneakers I rocked during my formative years.

Thursday Throwback Posterization: KJ elevates over Hakeem

With all of the NBA trade deadline madness today, I nearly forgot to post a Thursday Throwback Posterization again.

This week's video features 6'1" point guard and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson going up and over 7-foot Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon from the 1994 Western Conference Semi-Finals. After missing a three-pointer and getting the ball back from Danny Ainge, KJ burns Kenny Smith and seriously gets up on the dunk over Olajuwon. KJ times it perfectly, taking off before Hakeem has time to contest the dunk. The commentator amuses me when he says, "look at the determination and intensity in this man's [pause] soul."

The Rockets would go on to win the series 4-3 on their way to beating the New York Knicks in the Finals. Oh, and later in the series Olajuwon would get back at KJ by doing this:



This video has KJ's recollection of the dunk, which includes a hilarious impersonation of Hakeem:

Bring the Royals Back to Cincinnati!

According to Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee, current mayor of Sacramento and former 3-time All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson has said that the Kings might leave Sacramento if efforts to build a new arena fall through. KJ became aware of the issue when the NCAA bypassed Sacramento's bid to host the regional round of the men's basketball tournament in 2013 at Arco Arena. Although details remain vague, NCAA officials claim they were concerned about the conditions at Arco Arena.

Ok, Cincinnati... this is the moment we've all been waiting for, right? RIGHT?!? Ok, so maybe I'm one of few Cincinnatians that dreams of one day bringing the Royals back to the Queen City, but if you ask me, NOW is the time to take action. This is a golden opportunity we can't let slip away. Cleveland has three professional sports teams, and we all know Cincinnati is better than Cleveland.

So far, I've started creating an online petition at iPetitions.com, but I got stuck at the part where you're supposed to list your sponsors. I'm guessing a blog called Dank Game probably wouldn't be the most effective sponsor for this cause, so if anyone out there is reading this and knows of a legit sponsor hoping to bring pro basketball back to Cincinnati, let me know in the comments section. I'm sure there's someone out there, right? Ok, probably not.

A coworker of mine told me that Cincinnati Royals legend Oscar Robertson frequently eats at Montgomery Inn, so I'm thinking that the best plan of action at this point is to eat ribs night after night until I see the Big O in person, with BBQ sauce covering his face. I'm sure if I state my case he'll get behind it both morally and financially, right? So, if anyone is in the mood for ribs tonight and every other night until we see Oscar, get at me. I know I'm hungry for the world's greatest ribs, how about you?