Chris Paul's Retirement Is A Reminder
On Thanksgiving, CP3's retirement reminds me of a gesture I'm still grateful for
FROM THE VAULT - Thursday, November 28, 2024
Every Thursday, I’m sharing stories from 20+ years in the sneaker industry that never made it into the blogs, newsletters, or corporate content I was paid to create. These are the personal moments, the behind-the-scenes experiences, the things that remind me why I fell in love with this culture in the first place.
This week: gratitude, infrared, and a gesture I didn’t see coming.
It’s Thanksgiving, and Chris Paul announced his retirement this week. It reminded me of something he did for me indirectly that I’m thankful for.
A pair of shoes I never expected to own. They represent something that’s increasingly rare in sneaker culture: genuine gratitude.
Back in 2008, Matt from Nice Kicks tracked down a pair of Air Jordan 13s that Chris Paul reportedly had stolen from his gym locker years prior. Not as some calculated networking move or content play. Just a sneakerhead helping another sneakerhead find a pair they wanted. That’s it. That’s the whole story.
Except CP3 didn’t forget.
As a thank you, Paul had the Jordan team create exclusive Nice Kicks x Jordan CP3.IIs for Matt’s family and the original Nice Kicks crew... myself, Greg Grovey, George Kiel III, and Peter Sim. A handful of pairs. Black and Infrared. Clean. Simple. Personal.
We’ve all scattered to different corners of the industry since then, but we were all there for that moment. We had a squad.
These weren’t made to sell. They weren’t made to generate buzz. They were made because someone did something kind, and Chris Paul wanted to say thank you in the language sneakerheads understand.
I’d already been a fan of the CP3.II. After 8+ years of wear-testing for Nike…