We’re spending a lot of time talking about legendary athletes this week. Yesterday’s article was an ode to Tim Duncan, who announced his retirement in the most Tim Duncan way possible … quietly and without fanfare. Today we’re discussing an athlete from a different sport, but one who’s just as legendary as Timmy D: Derek Jeter.
The long-time Yankee captain and shortstop (who retired in 2014) has a long-standing relationship with Jordan Brand, who provided him with cleats, turf shoes, batting gloves and more during his playing career. During his farewell tour in 2014, Jordan Brand heavily promoted their “RE2PECT” campaign to pay homage to him, and just because his playing days are over doesn’t mean he’s done working with them. Yesterday it was announced that Jeter and Jordan Brand were coming together for a “RE2PECT” line of training footwear and apparel set to launch in the spring of 2017. He was also named the “captain” of Jordan Brand’s athletes, which shows you how much respect (or RE2PECT if you want to use marketing terms) the brand has for him.
This is a big deal. Even though the KicksOneTwo staff isn’t fond of the Yankees (how many times did they knock the Twins out of the playoffs in the 00’s?), we always respected Jeter, and think it’s great that he’s getting such a big post-career deal, especially with a brand that’s mainly known for basketball shoes. He was the perfect example of a leader on the field, and we’ve got a good feeling that he can use his leadership and influence to shine a bright spotlight on Jordan Brand’s training products, which don’t usually get as much shine as the basketball footwear and (of course) retros. Plus, the RE2PECT logo is great. The more you can slap that logo on, the better.
What do you think of the new Derek Jeter and Jordan announcement? Are you excited for the new training products, or is your interest lukewarm? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, check our Facebook page for daily updates, and, as always, be sure to follow us on Instagram for all the fire sneaker pictures you can handle.
-RDwyer
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