Willkommen » s can go to school while training.espnW: Speaking of Aime

Were counting down the greatest basketball sneakers of all time on ESPN.com, #NBArank-style. But before we reveal our list, a few of our resident sneakerheads weigh in on their favorite kicks of all time.Which shoes make their top five? Which are the most underrated? And which superstars should be next in line for their own signature sneaker? Our expert panel breaks it down.1. What are your top five signature sneakers of all time?Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider:?I can probably go five-deep on Jordans alone, but for the sake of diversity, Ill limit myself with just two: the 11s and the 4s. I definitely have to throw the Puma Clydes on the list as the first signature shoe from an NBA player. Give me the Grant Hill 2s from FILA, the first signature shoe I ever owned, and add to them the Iverson Questions.Scoop Jackson, ESPN.com:?Jordan 1 and III. Puma Clydes. Reebok Questions. Any sneaker Nike put Charles Barkleys name or initials on.Dave McMenamin, ESPN.com:?1. Air Jordan XI (Concords) 2. Air Jordan XII (Playoffs) 3. Nike Zoom Kobe V 4. Reebok Question 5. Nike Air Zoom Generation.Adam Reisinger, ESPN.com:?In chronological order, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, the Nike Air Force 1, the Air Jordan III, the Air Jordan XI and the Nike Air Foamposite One. You cant go wrong with any of these on your feet even today, which is remarkable considering that the most recent of these was first released almost 20 years ago.Jesse Washington, The Undefeated:?In reverse order of greatness, Im going with: The Reebok Question, not because it was a great-looking or great-feeling shoe, but because Iversons mystique and swag were so powerful, he made it classic. The Puma Clyde, because of its enormous cultural impact as one of the foundational pieces of hip-hop culture. Same for the Adidas Superstar, which was officially Kareems shoe, but really belonged to Run-DMC and catapulted the sneaker industry into a global fashion juggernaut. Runner-up is the Nike Air Foamposite One, because it was so futuristic, stylishly arresting and also great to hoop in. Finally, No. 1 without a doubt is the Air Jordan 1. This shoe -- and this player -- forever changed the game.2. Which all-time kick is the most underrated?Elhassan:?Ive always had a soft spot for the David Robinson-worn (although not necessarily exclusively signature) Air Max Uptempo shoes. I also respect the creativity that went into the design of the Gary Payton Gloves and the Dennis Rodman Worms. Both tied into the unique personalities of the players who endorsed them.Jackson:?Probably the Converse Pro Leather, the shoe Dr. J made iconic. The Converse Weapon came in after that and kind of took over the league. But Julius Erving literally set the stage for what is now considered the signature market with his association and connection to that shoe. The entire market shifted and changed because of that. Its a shame that they didnt just brand the shoe as the Dr. J.?McMenamin:?Nike Air Max Uptempo (1995). Outside of the Concords, its my favorite shoe. Its flawless. The full-length air from heel to toe, the stripped-down black and white initial design (like the Concords) making them work with literally any uniform from the Lakers purple and gold (Derek Fisher wore them for years) to the Timberwolves blue and green (the shoe is most known for Kevin Garnett wearing them as a rookie) to, naturally, the Bulls black and red (Scottie Pippen wore them before his signature line was started by Nike). I dont see it brought up enough.Reisinger:?The Nike Air Zoom Generation, the first signature sneaker for LeBron James (though it didnt carry his name). Because the LeBron line has yet to get the Jordan-style retro treatment, you dont see too many people wearing these -- walking around in actual 13-year-old sneakers can be rough -- but when LeBron broke out a pair for practice at last years Finals, it created some serious buzz among sneakerheads.Washington:?Nike Air Max Uptempo. The remakes are poorly made, but the original had an incredible combination of cushion, comfort and stability. It looked great with the air bubbles all the way around the sole. I was going hard on the NYC playgrounds when they came out; all the Air Maxness was fantastic on concrete. You could even completely remove the laces when rocking it for style, because the elastic bands over the tongue held it on your foot. Id wear Crocs to a Drake concert to get an original pair of these joints again.3. Whats your favorite memory about a pair of kicks in your collection, past or present?Elhassan:?The 10s were the first Jordans I ever wore, and I remember marveling at all the accolades listed on the bottom. Its kind of nuts to think about it now; hes basically added another careers worth of accolades after the fact.Jackson:?Either the Yeezy 2s or the bespoke Air Force 1s. The bespoke 1s because of the experience. I designed the shoe with my sons and Mau and Tan of NikeLab. It took over two hours and is a memory Ill hold on to forever -- very special. And the Yeezy 2s, because I actually got them before Kanye.McMenamin:?There was an annual student versus faculty basketball game at my middle school between the eighth-graders and the teachers. When I was in fifth grade, one of my teachers, Ms. Malinchak, was playing in it. I was into art back then, so I made a poster for the game with a detailed drawing of my Air Jordan 7 Bordeauxs -- the only Js I ever owned as a kid -- with big bubble letters Malinchak Attack!!! above it. She ended up hanging up the poster in her classrooms for years. When the Bordeauxs retrod in 2011, naturally, I had to get them.Reisinger:?The Air Jordan XII will always have a special place in my heart, because it was the first pair of Jordans -- or high-end sneakers in general -- that I actually owned. I was one of those kids who grew up wearing Hakeem Olajuwons Spaldings from Wal-Mart, so the day I spotted those white/red Jordan XIIs on a clearance rack at Sports Authority was a cause for celebration. That particular pair is sadly long gone, and Ive missed out on the past couple of re-releases of that specific colorway, but Ive been lucky enough to add a few other XIIs to my collection over the years.Washington:?I was working at Vibe magazine in 98, and someone for some reason sent me a pair of the first Foamposites before they came out. The shoes were royal blue, and the Nike swoosh was super tiny -- not like the big-swoosh retros. Wearing them around New York City, nobody had a clue what they were. They were such a radical departure from any previous sneaker. I was literally stopping traffic. On the subway one day, a kid asked if I played for the Knicks. (If I played for the Knicks, you think Id be on the subway? I responded.) Then, late one night in my bulletproof Chinese food spot in Brooklyn, a couple of hustlers were admiring my Foams from afar when I overheard one say, Wait, they look like something DTs might wear. DT meaning detective. At least I didnt get robbed.4. Which NBA player(s) without his own sneaker line has the best kick game?Elhassan:?There is no competition when it comes to this: Phoenixs P.J. Tucker is the premier sneakerhead in the NBA.Jackson:?DeMar DeRozan and J.R. Smith. DeRozan leans heavily on rocking Kobes, but the Kobes he comes with are sick! And Smith? Nike blesses him with stuff that not even LeBron has! Keep in mind, Im keeping this on-court. To go off-court and into which player has the best collection/closet, I cant call it. I dont want to get too depressed looking into their personal collections by comparing theirs to mine.McMenamin:?I guess Nick Young has his own shoe with Adidas now, but when I covered him in L.A., he wore all sorts of stuff. Just something unique every night, and when Kobe was injured, he actually became Nikes model to debut the new Kobes that were coming out. Jared Cunningham, who is playing in China now, had an amazing collection last season when he played for the Cavs. I always notice P.J. Tucker with Phoenix with some sauce on his feet. Currently on the Cavs, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert will catch your attention from time to time.Reisinger:?There are so many players who bring heat every night, but I have to pay some respect here to the Grizzlies Jarell Martin, who broke out the Air Jordan 2s in the preseason and has been frequently seen wearing the Air Jordan X Rio, which is a nice color match for the Grizzlies uniforms. Thats some creative thinking for a player who might not be able to score his own PE, much less a signature sneaker.Washington:?I dont sweat young bucks about their sneakers. Im 47, fam. I have a teenage son. What I look like wearing what they wear? Ima be original and wear something nobody else in the room, gym or stadium has on. My son told me, Thats because nobody else wants those shoes youre wearing. But still.5. Which young NBA player deserves the next signature sneaker?Elhassan:?Im writing this answer at the Staples Center on the heels of Kristaps Porzingis 26-point, 12-rebound, 7-block performance, so Adidas had better rush those Porzingis 1s into production.Jackson:?I already know that Nike is grooming Ben Simmons to replace Kobe in its Elite roster, but even though hes on the Jordan roster and doesnt necessarily have the outgoingness to sell sneaks, Kawhi Leonard deserves his own shoe.McMenamin:?The two names that come to mind are Devin Booker -- the vogue pick as the leagues cant-miss up-and-coming star -- and DAngelo Russell, as much for his ice in my veins swag and overall persona playing on the Lakers stage as for his game, which, if hes lucky, will max out to be an approximation of Mike Conleys. Then of course there is Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose ceiling is seemingly infinite, much like how people felt about a young Amare Stoudemire when he got his signature shoe.Reisinger:?Big men dont usually sell as well as guys who have the ball in their hands all the time (which helps explain why Dwight Howard is now with PEAK rather than Adidas), but Porzingis just signed a big deal with Adidas, hes located in a major media market, and hes already proved to be incredibly popular -- and this season is putting up the numbers to back it up. It only makes sense for him to have a sneaker to call his own rather than sharing the Crazy Explosive with a bunch of other players.Washington:?Based on performance, Karl-Anthony Towns. KATs kicks would need some lion fur trim or something. But can we just give Russell Westbrook his own shoe already? Him wearing Jordans doesnt count, and its a huge waste of potential. Aint nobody really messing with the last decade of flagship Air Jordans, even if theyre worn by the most electrifying player in the world. In terms of actual personal style, Russ is as far from Jordan as L.A. from North Cackalacky. MJ still wears things like four-button blazers over acid-washed jeans. Imagine a shoe that actually reflected Russ fashion sense! It would make Yeezys look like Currys. Im about to wear a FREE RUSS shirt with a Jordan logo to the next OKC game.Bonus question: Best story to get a pair of sneakers?Elhassan:?At the end of every NBA season, players clean out their lockers, keeping the things they want and leaving behind what is trash to them. Steve Nash was the only player in the Suns locker room to wear the same size as me, but unfortunately, so did half the staff, so on clear-out day, everyone would find a reason to have business that kept them around the locker room. It was like watching vultures on a nature show!Jackson:?Going to Nike basketball camp in 1994 in a pair of Adidas. I knew they wouldnt let me walk around the camp in oppositions sneaks, so I knew once I came there to cover the camp theyd have to give me a pair of Nikes to walk around in. Which they did. But I acquired a pair of Air Ups as they kicked me out of camp during lunch. I was told: Dont come back unless you are wearing these shoes!McMenamin:?A few years back, the Air Jordan XII playoffs colorway retrod. A player I knew posted on social media about getting them. I texted him my envy. He replied by asking me what size I wore and setting me up with my guy Ray Ray to pick up some size 12s for me. In Compton. In a strangers driveway. At around 11 p.m. Cash exchange. A little different from a visit to Foot Locker at the mall.Reisinger:?My craziest sneaker-buying story is crazy for how easy it was. Back in 2013, Nike canceled the scheduled December release of the Yeezy 2 Red Octobers and never announced a new on-sale date. Instead, it just randomly dropped them one afternoon in February 2014 with a simple tweet saying they were now available in the online store. I remember seeing the tweet and thinking it was a joke at first, but I clicked, and there they were. The entire buying process took maybe about 60 seconds, and suddenly I was the owner of one of the most sought-after sneakers on the market -- though after I saw what they were going for on the resale market, I ended up flipping them. They paid for every sneaker I bought for the rest of that year.Washington:?Freshman year on the basketball team at Yale, 1986. The team wore some wack Reebok 5600s that have thankfully disappeared into the mists of time. But they were free, and had some status around campus. My man Valentino Carlotti, a junior point guard from NYC, put me up on game: Wear the same pair of sneakers to every practice and game all season, but go see the equipment manager every couple of weeks wearing the dogged pair and say, I need some new shoes! Stash in dorm room, pause, repeat.Wholesale Custom Senators Shirts . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Cheap Custom Senators Jersey . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. http://www.customsenatorsjersey.com/custom-frank-finnigan-jersey-large-70t.html . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. Cheap Senators Jerseys .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Custom Senators Jerseys . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year.U.S. gymnastics superstar Simone Biles may have five Olympic medals swinging from her neck, but its her mother Nellie Biles, who feels like the ultimate champion.Simones road to Rio was such an amazing journey for our whole family. Im just so thankful, noted Mrs. Biles.You see, Simones accomplishments are rooted in her mothers ability to create a village (a tight-knit community of family and friends) that supports her daughter through ups, downs and everything in between. For instance, the extended Biles family does a weekly family dinner, attends church together -- and all flew out to Rio to see Simone shine at the Olympics.Nellie, who adopted 19-year-old Simone and her 17-year-old sister Adria when they were small children, along with her husband Ron (Simone and Adrias biological grandfather), wants her kids to know and understand they are unconditionally loved -- and thats part of the Biles magic. ??Last week, while Simone was on a media blitz, hitting The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Good Morning America, Mrs. Biles sat down with espnW from her hotel room in midtown Manhattan to discuss her commitment to family and how she keeps her daughter steady on the balance beam of life.espnW: At what point did you know you Simone was a gifted athlete? Biles: From the start she absolutely loved gymnastics. I always supported her, but I never thought much of it. It wasnt until 2012, when Simone won her first all-around [at the American Classic in Huntsville, Texas], that I really started to believe... wow, my daughter really gets this sport.The following year she was a senior in high school, and had turned 16 years old. So, a lot of things were evolving in her life. Simone started having problems with concentration and her focus was off, and as a result her performance was a bit rough at the Secret U.S. Classic. After that competition, we talked to a sports psychologist, which helped her regain focus.I believe her talking to those two therapists was really key.?She then went on to win the womens individual all-around at the [2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Antwerp, Belgium]. Once that happened, I knew we were headed to greater times. I always knew she could physically do it. She was capable, it was her mental status that needed to be aligned. And it all worked out.espnW: Your daughter Adria is a gymnast as well. How do you help create a sense of work/personal life balance for she and Simone?Biles: I think its important that we function as a family. Not only for my two girls, but for Simones brothers, too; because I have four children. The boys are grown and live on their own. But, they still come to the house and visit quite frequently.But, in particular Simone and Adria normally train all week except Sunday. So theres no real break. However, on Saturday, they start at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Because thats an early end day, the girls often use that afternoon to get their nails or hair done.However, during the week, they are balancing school work and gymnastics, and that pretty much takes up their time. Then Sunday is family day, so we always go to church together. And I normally leave it up to the girls to decide what we are having for Sunday dinner, and they will argue about what they want, but they eventually come to some sort of consensus. The boys come over in the evening time, and we just enjoy each others company.espnW: What was your most memorable moment in Rio?Biles: There are a few for me. But, just celebrating all of Simones accomplishments was just so special. We didnt get a chance to see her that often, because Simone was in the Olympic village, and we were in a hotel. We brought a group of 17 family members and friends to Rio with us, just to support her. So having such a huge amount of support in general, was quite memorable.?Each time we came back from competition, wed all sit down and celebrate as a group. We wanted to recall and discuss what we had just witnessed, and it wwas just so special to share those moments with friends and family.dddddddddddd We all got together about six or seven times during the Olympics and it was simply amazing, after each competition, we all shared that experience together.Though, there was one particular moment that truly stuck out to me. It was when we first saw Simone, which was when the U.S. won gold in team competition, she along with the other gymnasts came around to our hotel. It was a big celebration for all of the athletes and families, and that was an amazing experience for us all.espnW: What goes through your mind when Simone is in competition?Biles: I am absolutely a basket case during competition. Whenever we go to the meets, my family knows not to talk to me. Im in my own space. I dont want any comments. I dont want anyone to say anything to me until its over. Now depending on how nervous I get, Ill squeeze my husbands hand or Adrias hand. I may look calm, but Im not! Im [a] total wreck until its over. I cannot eat or drink the entire day leading up to the competition.Im sure partnership proposals are flooding your inbox post-Olympics, why did you think the My Black is Beautiful and Tides Small but Powerful campaigns were a good fit for you and Simone?Biles: The Tide PODS concept alone. My daughter is small in stature, but shes incredibly powerful. The fact that they made that analogy between the PODS and Simone, was just so fitting. Also, Proctor & Gambles My Black is Beautiful campaign (which features P&G products that caters to an African-American female demographic) -- the goal of it is to promote women feeling comfortable in their own skin. The message is about black women empowering themselves, and embracing themselves both inside and out. And thats a very important platform for my daughter and me.espnW: You and your husband Ron opened World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas, where Simone trains. Do you think the gym was part of her ultimate success?Biles: So, after the worlds completion in 2013, Simones then trainer Aimee Boorman wanted to discuss finding a new gym. But, I didnt think that was a good idea. I didnt want my daughter bouncing from gym to gym. However, that made me think ... maybe, we should build our own gym, which we did in 2014. Simone started training there right away (it opened to the public in May 2016).Overall, building the gym was one of the best things Ive ever done. It gave her a comfortable place to train, and I would say for the last year, while training for the Olympics, it really helped. She was really grateful to have somewhere to train that was state of the art, with new equipment and she had everything she needed right there.Plus, its a great place for other gymnasts as well. So, its a service to the community. We also have practice space for things like Taekwondo or just tumbling. Theres some variety in that gym. We even have a classroom on site, so that the athletes can go to school while training.espnW: Speaking of Aimee Boorman, as of August 2016, she is no longer training your daughter. How is Simone dealing with the change?Biles: Aimee and I had an initial conversation about that. From our chat, I got the impression that she had other opportunities coming her way, and thats wonderful for her. Its great that she took advantage. Simply because theres no more Simone in that gym. Simone is off doing her own thing, so its good that Aimee decided to pursue her dreams as well.Initially, Simone had a little difficulty with it, but she understands and embraces the idea. I do not know what [Simone] is going to do in respect to training going forward and she doesnt either. But, shell figure it out when she gets back to Texas. Well cross that bridge when shes back home.?Ericka N. Goodman-Hughey is a senior editor at espnW. Follow her on Twitter @ericka_editor ' ' '