A little while back, I was extended the privilege of being invited with a select group to attend a milestone Big East Basketball game that also played host to one of the largest rivalries in College Basketball. That game, featuring the Syracuse Orangemen versus the Georgetown Hoyas, was a pivotal moment in the Championship for the Big East Conference and was also a keystone event in Nike’s Be True campaign.
BE TRUE is part of Nike’s recognition of the 22 year heritage of the Dunk. Though few people would challenge the Dunk’s dominance as an icon of style on the street, the DNA of the Dunk can be found within the sport of Basketball. Well before the Dunk established its dominance within popular culture, it proved itself on the court. Being True is the essence that defines the Dunk and BE TRUE is both its celebration and the celebration of the culture that has embraced it. That afternoon back in February up at Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome, our small group got the chance to witness first hand the TRUE fans of Syracuse and Georgetown. Over 31,000 fans we’re in attendance that day, and all were brought together to share in the sport of Basketball.
Since then, I’ve been invited to attend, as well as participate in, other BE TRUE events, and throughout the rest of 2008 I’ll periodically share with everybody previews of exclusive products released by Nike as part of their BE TRUE campaign, as well as specific documentation of Nike’s message of what BEING TRUE means.
That said, I’m really honored to be the first to introduce the Rivalry Dunks…
The story behind them involves Nike going back to the roots of the Dunk and their origins in Basketball, as well as Nike’s foundation in collegiate sport. The Rivalry Dunks pay homage to the TRUE fans at three particularly noteworthy colleges. Each of these colleges have fans that have distinguished themselves by camping out in the dead of winter, queuing up in line for days at a time and essentially bleeding their team colors. Nike set out to recognize the passion for sport, and the rivalries that drive it, by working with a lucky group of the most hardcore fans, the teams and the Athletic Departments of each of these three colleges to create a custom Dunk in their honor. This was followed up by a ceremonial dinner and special festivities for those involved, culminating in a pair of the (exceptionally limited) Dunks given to a select group of very fortunate individuals at each function with the rest of the invited guests cheering them on.
The three teams are the Syracuse University Orangemen, The North Carolina Tar Heels, and the Georgetown Hoyas, and these are their Dunks…
I’m also especially grateful to the powers that be over at Swoosh Headquarters, who felt that I deserved my own pair of Orangemen Dunks (Especially when they’ve been listing on Ebay for thousands of dollars per pair). Many thanks…
Posted on April 17, 2008 at 07:26 PM | Comment (9 comments)
