Dwight’s first pet was named, um, “Nike”…
With the 2010-11 NBA season coming to an end, we take a look back at happier times. A retrospective of sneaker events held during 2011 All-Star week festivities in Los Angeles. Here’s an adidas/Dwight Howard event and interview recap written by CounterKicks contributor Jason Wang…
Shortly after wrapping up the 2011 NBA All-Star practice Saturday morning, Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard made an appearance at the Santa Monica Foot Locker on 3rd St. and Promenade to sign memorabilia and promote his midseason signature shoe, the adidas Superbeast.
Prior to signing autographs for the long waiting line of ManChild fans, some of which had stood outside since 3:30AM, Howard took the time to answer a few questions from select media about the Superbeast.
When asked about the aspects of his new shoe and his direct involvement, Howard said that he worked closely with adidas to make sure his new signature shoe could be worn off the court.
“We wanted to have a shoe where you could wear it off the court and on the court. You look at the shoe, and you can wear it with jeans, sweatpants, shorts, and it looks good.”
Howard also noted that he prefers lightweight shoes for play, and that the Superbeast allowed room to move and cut, suitable for guards to wear on the court.
I had the opportunity to ask Howard about his relationship with adidas and his reaction to becoming one of the brand’s main stars, sharing the poster child role with Bulls guard Derrick Rose.
Jason Wang for CounterKicks: Dwight, you’ve been with adidas your entire career…
Dwight Howard: My entire life. [Laughs]
Jason: What does it mean for you now that you’re the face of adidas’ image and you are able to have signature shoes?
Dwight: It means a lot to me. It’s a dream come true. Everybody’s always wanted their own shoe, a shoe that you can walk into any store and see that shoe. It’s a blessing and an honor to represent adidas, and I just want to do the best I can to represent adidas because they’ve done a great job with me over the years. All I can do is support them, go out there every night and rep them the right way.
The open media gathering did reveal a past affinity, as well. When randomly asked what was the name of his first pet, Howard was hesitant to answer. Before revealing the name, he noted that his dad had named his first pet.
“It was a dog… His name was Nike. Sorry, adidas.”
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Images via Jory Cordy/Steven Taylor/adidas
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