SCHEDULE: PBA Philippine Cup Finals San Miguel vs Meralco
Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome during the PBA Finals Game 1 against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome had a full-circle moment in Game 1 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
And that moment was encapsulated in his game-worn shoes in the form of the Nike KD IV “Galaxy.”
“It definitely is a full-circle moment for me to actually have the opportunity to pick these up and then wear them in the Finals. I definitely feel like it’s a full circle moment,” said Newsome with Inquirer Sports after their 93-86 win over San Miguel at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
READ: PBA Finals also a chance to up sneaker game for Ross, Newsome
“Honestly, these are my fave KDs back whenever he used to hoop at OKC and I think it was [out] around the time that I was getting drafted by Meralco as well. Orange is a hard color to come by in a shoe, I saw this re-released and it reminded me of my high school/college days when I used to love the straps.”
A few days before the Finals opening, Newsome said he was looking at wearing a retro pair. Little did his fans know that he was going to incorporate nostalgia into his chosen footwear.
The “Galaxy” is one of Kevin Durant’s signature shoes back in 2011 when he was a staple with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Chris Newsome’s Nike KD IV “Galaxy. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Thankfully for the Ateneo product, the pair was re-released in February but it was tough to cop one due to the lottery system.
It seems like the 4s fit Newsome like a glove as he played splendidly to finish with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists, giving the Bolts the first win of the best-of-seven series.
“They actually feel a lot better than they did way back then so they’re definitely improving the tech in these shoes. I really like this shoe. I don’t know how my rotation’s going to be but I like how this feels so I might run this back.”
READ: PBA Finals: Meralco still ‘absolutely’ has not cracked San Miguel code
“These ones felt good right out of the box so I hope there’s some other color ways that come out. You know the “Weatherman”s are out there but it’s not really ‘bagay’ for our team. Tsk.”
While the next pair of shoes that Newsome would wear remains a mystery, all he’s looking for is a pair that would make him feel comfortable running and jumping inside the hardwood while having a pop of Orange to match the Meralco hues.
And for that, he has his Kobes or even Book 1s to show for.
“I might have to pick up some Devin Booker’s (Book 1), maybe. They got some Oranges in there but nonetheless, I’m just going for what’s comfortable right now.”
Before he could even finish explaining why he loves the KD line even more, he has a rather special request to NBA player Durant.
Up until the KD 7s, Durant threw some straps in some of his shoe line’s installments but that all came to a halt in 2015 when he introduced the KD 8s.
Since then, none of Durant’s kicks sported a strap system for maximum lockdown containment.
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“KD please bring back the straps, man! I love the straps on your shoe!”