PHOTOS: Vince Carter receives custom gold-detailed 'Shox BB4' sneakers from Nike to mark his Hall of Fame honor
Today, Vince Carter will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The NBA legend's legacy is not just about his performance on the court, but Carter also put the then-new Toronto Raptors franchise on the map. To honor his contributions to the sport, Nike did something extraordinary.
The shoe giant gifted the soon-to-be HoF player two pairs of custom-made shoes ahead of his enshrinement. Nike gifted Carter a special edition of the Shox BB4, which was Carter's first Nike signature shoe, to celebrate his induction.
The shoes are inspired by the same design that Carter wore in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and during his tenure with the Raptors, which became iconic. Each shoe is lettered in dedication to his jersey number with the Raptors and his 2024 HoF induction; featuring VC15 & HOF2024.
The Raptors-inspired shoe is gold with a black upper on the laces. The 2000 Olympics-inspired shoe features a white and black geometric design. Both designs have a gold heel, which includes the signature Swoosh.
Vince Carter paid $13 million to Puma before he signed a shoe deal with Nike
Nike wasn't the first shoe company that Vince Carter signed a shoe deal with. He signed a 10-year/$50 million deal with Puma in 1998, the same year he was drafted. However, the deal was terminated just after a year.
According to Sportscasting, Carter terminated the deal because the company's shoes hurt his feet. The former NBA player ended up paying $13 million to the company for abruptly terminating the deal.
Once he was a free agent, Carter signed with AND1 to wear the Tai Chi shoe. It was the same year he won the Dunk Contest. That win put him on the radar of several shoe companies.
Later that same year in August, Nike made its bid to the Raptors star and just like that, it was a match made in heaven. Carter received his first signature shoe, the Nike Shox BB4 before he left for the Summer Olympics in Sydney.
The Shox BB4 was perhaps the most iconic shoe that Carter wore throughout his career in the NBA. It was the same shoe that he posterized Team France player Frederic Weis with, which is now famously called "Dunk of Death."
Vince Carter still has a contract with the shoe giant. He wore his first signature shoe for the majority of his final season in the league.