Quote :

"The NBA banned Athletic Propulsion Lab's "Concept 1" basketball sneaker because it believes the shoe will help players jump higher. The sneakers therefore break a rule prohibiting any apparel that gives players an "unfair competitive advantage." This is the first time the rule has ever been enacted to outlaw sneakers. And APL couldn't be happier. They've stamped "Banned by the NBA" across their website, and across pictures of the $300 footwear. The publicity could help launch their sneaker past the realm of basketball junkies, to (rich) playgrounds across America. Plus, the NBA ban practically confirms APL's outrageous claim that "Concept 1" can instantly add more than three inches to vertical leaps. Somewhere, Reebok is wishing it had invented this technology, rather than the ridiculous "ZigTech" squiggles Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/company-rejoices-as-nba-bans-its-basketball-sneaker-2010-10#ixzz12piPyN9t"

I'd like to try this shoe out and see if/how much of a difference it makes. If I had about another inch on my vertical, I could dunk which would be pretty awesome during my old man pickup games.




[Edited on October 19, 2010 at 3:07 PM. Reason : l]

10/19/2010 3:06:39 PM

10/19/2010 4:28:13 PM

Is flubber still legal?

10/19/2010 4:30:22 PM

10/19/2010 4:30:22 PM

10/19/2010 4:36:38 PM

Quote :

"They've stamped "Banned by the NBA" across their website, and across pictures of the $300 footwear. The publicity could help launch their sneaker past the realm of basketball junkies, to (rich) playgrounds across America."

i was gonna come in here and say this is nothing but good publicity for them, it looks like they're already on top of it.

10/19/2010 4:38:01 PM

^ Yeah their website was down this afternoon due to too much traffic. They better get that shit back up and running or they'll miss out on their golden opportunity. Wonder what kind of testing the NBA did to determine that this shoe needed to be banned.



[Edited on October 19, 2010 at 4:44 PM. Reason : V lol ]

10/19/2010 4:40:27 PM

I heard Steve Nash was doing 360 Tomahawks in them

10/19/2010 4:43:20 PM

JIMMY is happy about some publicity

10/19/2010 5:02:13 PM

Here's a pretty good article of somebody trying them out.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/chris_ballard/08/31/shoes/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz0yybidCi0

Verdict: Maybe

10/19/2010 5:24:14 PM

The mind over matter effect is pretty incredible. If golfers can use newer alloys and faces that let them drive the ball 350+ yards, swimmers using new suits to be more aerodynamic, wide receivers using gloves that are basically like glue, etc., then why shouldn't basketball embrace new technology? Granted each of those sports have regulations on equipment, but the results show better performance.

It's not that jumping is the main component in basketball. Sure you could contest more shots and maybe go for that dunk where you couldn't before, but you'd also have to make adjustments for everything else in your game. Your jump shot won't be the same if you are higher off the ground. There are probably better examples but I'm just trying to justify allowing some crappy $300 shoes to compete against $175 Nikes.

10/19/2010 9:44:59 PM

more importantly, can the WNBA make these mandatory??

10/19/2010 10:09:04 PM

lol @ when people say swimmers are aerodynamic

10/19/2010 10:09:41 PM

hydrodynamic!

10/19/2010 10:24:42 PM

Quote :

"more importantly, can the WNBA make these mandatory??"

WINNAR

10/19/2010 10:32:38 PM

thermodynamic!

10/19/2010 11:28:51 PM

Quote :

"The sneakers therefore break a rule prohibiting any apparel that gives players an "unfair competitive advantage.""

If everyone wears them, then they'd all be on a level playing field.

10/20/2010 7:56:15 AM

Yeah but I imagine most teams are under contract with various brands for sneakers and a lot of players have to wear their own sneaker lines. So basically this would only be helping the smaller franchises and the non-star players...so I think they should let them use it, even the playing field some more, haha.

10/20/2010 8:08:54 AM

lol at the WNBA comment.

Seriously I wonder if the NBA is doing this appease some of the other big shoe companies that propagate the league? I remember the old Karl Malone LA Gear Catapult shoe. Didn't that shoe have some type of spring in sole to supposedly make you jump higher.

10/20/2010 8:13:38 AM

^oh common... lol that sentence is almost verbatim from the article

10/20/2010 8:33:46 AM

They ended up selling thousands of pairs yesterday apparently

http://www.cnbc.com/id/39759089

10/20/2010 11:35:25 AM

Quote :

"If I had about another inch on my vertical, I could dunk "

You could get this in two weeks if you made any effort at all.

10/20/2010 11:37:53 AM

^ yeah because I am a lazy fat ass that doesn't do anything. Dude I play ball three times a week, work out with weights 5 times a week including quite a bit of leg work, do what ever I can to keep fit. I'm 6'0" and 31 years old and white. Most guys are surprised that I can get as high as I do. Maybe if I got into a hardcore Crossfit routine, I could get that extra inch, but I don't have the right place to do the Crossfit workouts.



[Edited on October 20, 2010 at 11:44 AM. Reason : as]

10/20/2010 11:43:13 AM

while I can dunk ... and extra inch or 2 would still be welcomed ... difference between barely dunking and dunking with consistency.

Do they have a return policy? ... id be pissed if I bought it and it did not add at least 1 inch to my vertical.

[Edited on October 20, 2010 at 12:34 PM. Reason : .]

10/20/2010 12:32:44 PM

At my peak athletic ability, I could almost grab the rim (I could get a few fingers on it, but never high enough to grab and hang onto it)...and I'm not even 5'8".

If I would start working out my legs hard again and could get back to that vertical (I'm still in great shape...just have ignored my lower body with the heavy weights for a few years), then I would buy the fuck out of these shoes. One of my top 5 goals in life is to dunk a basketball.

10/20/2010 12:34:10 PM

when i played a lot, i could barely catch an alley oop that was lobbed up by someone standing by the rim ... and a few times ive been able to do a 2-handed dunk, but it took too much effort (couldn't have done it in a game or anything)

10/20/2010 12:40:11 PM

those guys have a good ways to go to catch up to their father.

http://people.forbes.com/profile/mark-r-goldston/82672

10/20/2010 1:00:05 PM