by Sulaiman Folarin / @sulaiman4real
To the applause and nods of shoeheads around the NBA, adidas and Derrick Rose debuted the point guard’s new signature adiZero Rose 1.5 during the second half of the All-Star Game Sunday night. Hours before that, though, there were a couple hundred fans outside the Foot Locker in Culver City by the Westfield Mall outside of Los Angeles. They were not there to see the 2011 Dunk Contest champion Blake Griffin or L.A.’s real king Kobe Bryant.
Rather, the first-time All-Star starter from Chicago was the reason they had been lined up outside the store since 7 a.m.
In an exclusive one-on-one, Rose told SLAMonline that he felt moved fans were out there in another city waiting that early to meet him in person.
“It says a lot that people are out there. I love L.A., its fun here.” Rose said.
The NBA All-Star took photos with fans of all ages as some chanted “M-V-P.”
“My fans are great because of the past with Michael [Jordan] and the Bulls did in the past.”
Regarding the kicks — which Derrick rocked for a half Sunday night and will be wearing from here on out — Rose’s second version of the 1.5’s are a lot lighter than the original; they weigh a mere 12.6 ounces.
“You see the difference don’t you,” Rose shares a joke about the new shoe. “Its lighter, its way lighter than my last shoe.”
The shoes also have improved features, which you can read much, much more about here, that help support the Bulls franchise player on the court.
“The feel is always going to stay the same. I always get my shoe raised up above my ankle so I can have ankle support.”
Most NBA players today, especially the big men wear shoes with high ankle support, but Rose said he would not compromise when it came to protecting his ankles.
“I don’t like low shoes because I don’t want to hurt my ankle.”
From the look, the weight, the feel and the reception they recieved Sunday night, the adiZero Rose 1.5s are sure to be a smashing success.
