Source: The OMN1S Baited Drops November 14th
I’ve been critical of the rollout of the Kawhi 1 (yep I refuse to call them the —–). I also realize that the slow rollout is necessary in a world dominated by Nike footwear sales and in a world where basketball footwear sales are not as exciting as they used to be. My criticism is not about NB exactly, it’s about the grassroots strategy of all basketball sneaker brands, but that’s a different discussion. This post is about the product shots for the Baited which drops tomorrow November 14th, 2019.
These pictures are straight out of a Casablanca modeling catalog and I love it!!!!!!! Kawhi is the best player in the NBA right now. I believe he will lead two different teams to back to back finals and championships. It will be an accomplishments that begins to shape Kawhi for discussions on GOAT status. Media outlets have always highlighted Kawhi’s no-nonsense approach to the game. His stoic demeanor is legendary. I always thought that New Balance would have a hard to pulling imagery out of Kawhi that would show who he is. In his own words he’s a “Fun Guy” but no one knows that. He’s very private. This is why Jordan Brand let the only guy who is really “Like Mike” walk away.
I ran across these images from NB today and I realized ‘they get it’ and their connection to Kawhi could be just as pivotal for New Balance as Steph Curry was for Under Armour. How can I say this when the two above pictures are hella awkward?
This picture:
I don’t care about the shoes or the car. The person who captured that smile killed this photoshoot. The first two pictures are what is to be expected. This photo is all heart. Still life should contribute to the narrative. This photo conveys a peace. I may be wrong, and I have no proof, but it could be that this shoot is on the campus of San Diego State (I attended SDSU). Kawhi is back where everything started and he looks genuinely happy. That smile is still awkward, but I believe it and that means it works. I think he knows that it’s working, but don’t tell anyone.