To celebrate the end of the NBA season, I wanted to let you and your readers know about PF Flyers’ Hi Tops archival reissues which include two old basketball sneaker styles, the Bob Cousy Hi and the Glide which both come in Celtics green.

Sport styles by PF Flyers were icons of the 1950s, renowned for helping you “play at full speed longer.” The brand earned a permanent place in American mythology, lionized in stories and films such as “The Sandlot.”

Bob Cousy Hi:
The Bob Cousy Hi was worn by basketball’s first superstar. The sneaker features gullwing closure™ and model specific markings and comes in a Celtics Green just in time for the NBA finals.

Glide:
The Glide was originally released in 1979 and is a plush basketball reissue that features era specific markings, padded tongue, heel ribs and terry lining.

Center Hi:
The Center Hi was originally released in 1953 and is the enduring basketball classic, vertically ribbed toe guard with diamond-patterned outsole.

Check more pics after the jump

Hall of Famer, Bob Cousy, ran the point for the Celtics in the 1950′s while racking up six championships. The low-top All American became Cousy’s signature shoe and represents the first collaboration between a player and sneaker brand. This high top version of the Bob Cousy features an over died canvas upper and a classic wrap sole with green PF logo on the heel. Available now at Tradition.

Here I am back with my third installment of rants and raves for that culo…NYC is my playground, I invite you in, so let’s go…

REST IN POWER: JIMMY MCGRIFF, GEORGE CARLIN AND MASS APPEAL

George Carlin was the first hip white comedian since Lenny Bruce. “Toledo Window Box” is the best pothead comedy routine ever; guy was a counterculture hero! Other than Richard Pryor, he’s the best who ever did it.

The Hammond B3 organ will never be the same without Jimmy McGriff. Guy was the tastiest with it. Just ask the homies Cypress Hill and A Tribe Called Quest that scooped up his classic break, “The Bird.”

What a way to go out. Mass Appeal was my home and my homies for the last five years. Sorry to see you go, but maybe a little “we’re going under” notice would have been nice instead of some bag of Skittles-lookin’ intern gleefully telling me at Max Fish one drunken night it was a wrap! Still, all in all, I’m gonna miss it.

RAMBLINGS AND LATE GRABS

The NYC subway is like a better-dressed nightclub during rush hour…NYC has the worst weather in winter and the worst weather in summer. Why do I live here again? Best thug fashions are on the A train, trust.

In case you don’t know what a “late grab” is, it’s a new jack with a big mouth who grabs onto things late, hence late grab. Usually lacking respect for those that paved the way due to their lack of knowledge.

Rumor going around, famed photographer Boogie and yours truly D Ross are doing a book together…ahhhh shit that’s gonna be craze…  Hung out with Premier recently—that’s a dude who needs to write a book. Man, that cat got craze stories!

Somebody told me I was once again professionally urban the other day…I didn’t even know what it meant, but I’m psyched, I think. Does that mean I got a crossover move now? Speaking of crossing over: When does Cross Colors make a comeback on the ironic tip? Some hipster dork has to think that’s cool somehow…  Speaking of being ironic, I’ll stay iconic. It’s a better look for me, ya know?

THE SPORTING LIFE

Recently hung with Christian Hosoi, Steve Olson and Steve Cabellero. Funny how my skate idols still make me feel like I’m 14…holy man fan. Speaking of skating, I’m DJing the RedBull Manny Mania this summer. Can’t wait; hopefully Brandon Biebel won’t get jobbed this year.

Ben Lyons knows and loves three things: movies, New York (and the Knicks) and sneakers. It was all about the Celtics this year, so maybe we’ll talk about the Knicks next year. For now, here’s his list of the finest kick flicks and the shoes that made them sneaker classics.

Hoosiers
Chuck Taylors
Hands down the most classic hoops film of all time featured the simple yet timeless style of the Chuck Taylor. Now relegated to Cali cool and hipster chic, the Converse All Star was once the symbol of America’s athletic prowess. Here’s some Hollywood Hoosier trivia: Catt Sadler, host of E!’s “The Daily 10” got her first job as a featured extra in the film.

Hoop Dreams
Nike Flight series
The Oscar-nominated documentary from director Steven James featured classic early ’90s basketball sneakers that nowadays sell for hundreds of dollars in shrink wraps on Fairfax to trendy Japanese tourists. The story of Arthur Agee and William Gates touched the hearts of millions around the world, while thousands of sneaker heads go back and watch the film, screaming at the screen because the kids dirty up their classic kicks on the blacktop with no remorse. Whatever happened to those dudes anyway?

Do the Right Thing
Air Jordans vs. Larry Birds
Nothing rips at my heart and soul more than when a brand new pair of sneakers gets that first scuff. It’s the beginning of the end, the inevitable downfall of flyness. That feeling is captured on film in the classic encounter of fresh and stale, black and white, Jordan versus Bird, in Spike Lee’s classic Brooklyn tale, Do The Right Thing. The Bird fan on the bike goes down in history as one of the great jackass clowns of all time, and those Jordans look even fresher today than they did then. Timeless… Then factor in the Mars Blackman character and Jordan’s cross-promotion with Spike, and the rest if history.
Bugs Bunny Jordans
Staying with the greatest player and shoe designer of all time, Michael Jordan got to make a weak knockoff of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? with his buddy Bill Murray and great cameos from Barkley and Larry Johnson. Although it’s somewhat disguised as a movie, in actuality it was one giant Nike commercial. And what happened to cartoon characters in pop culture? Now kids care about cheesy pop stars and reality hoes, but back then, Bugs was cool and so were those kicks. Remember the #9 Olympic editions? Out of control.

Back to the Future
Terminator high tops
Why Nike never put these on the market in a big way is a complete mystery. The futuristic high tops were so fresh you wanted to fire up the Flux Capacitor and get the Delorean up to 88 miles an hour so you could get a pair, too. Everything else in the future looked wack as shit, except those shoes. Truly iconic and ahead of their time, I think I’d rather have those than the hover board.

lyonsden.eonline.com

This Column is also available in Vapors 49 – The Sneaks Issue

PP 'bout to get a VD from nice, Christian girl. If one ring went to his head, would love to see him after three.

From Yahoo Sports:

“Finals MVP Paul Pierce, who recently spent three days at a ball camp in Madrid, is making, ahem, news about what he said to a Spanish reporter. The money translation, via RedsArmy: ‘Q: Is Kobe really the best player in the world? Pierce: I don’t think Kobe is the best player. I’m the best player. There’s a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don’t cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself.’”

“I’m the best player.” Yeah, Pierce doesn’t sound conceited at all.

Remember when he made the finals without KG and Ray Allen, or carried his team like Kobe, Steve Nash, or Lebron? Me neither. Remember when everyone else that knows b-ball (analysts, coaches, players, the press, etc) called him the best player in the league? Me neither. But at least he’s not conceited. Beating the Hawks in seven must’ve just given him confidence.