Pirate Galaxy » 36-year-old was an advocate for the le

RIO DE JANEIRO -- While the mens basketball teams first order of business is to win the gold medal at the Rio Games there will be some other basketball business taking place on the court.Shoe business, and it can get personal.Michael Jordan is the shining example of how on-court moments can take on another life through sneakers in this global multi-billion dollar industry. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and other members of the United States Olympic mens basketball team could have a similar opportunity in Rio. In an ideal world for players and shoe companies there will be a memorable golden moment that goes viral -- leading to an `it must be the shoes phenomenon.Nike is the official apparel provider for the team, but Jordan Brand, Adidas and other companies know the Olympics provide a unique chance to build a legacy around their product. And while it wasnt obvious in a Nike promotional photo of the team, Harrison Barnes and Kyle Lowry are sponsored by Adidas; Klay Thompson by ANTA -- and all are allowed to wear their non-Nike footwear during the games.The one thing thats a little bit different between a lot of the Olympic models versus a new signature shoe for an athlete like Kevin Durant or LeBron James, is a lot of the Olympic stuff ties back into the history thats happened previously, said Brandon Edler, Finish Line content manager and creative strategist. Nostalgia is still one of the best forms of marketing and retro stuff continues to be a very strong product point for a lot of these brands. Its a fine balance between that and anything thats new thats being unveiled around the Olympics.Theres a good opportunity for somebody like Carmelo Anthony to go out there and drop 44 in an Olympic game and that being an iconic moment. Something like Vince Carter dunking over a 7-foot guy in the Nike Shox. That made Nike Shox one of the biggest shoes after that happened.Carter had fans around the world on their feet with his dunk over 7-foot-2 Frenchman Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics.Many sneaker enthusiasts associate the Jordan 3 with Jordan winning the 1988 dunk contest. The red and black Jordan 12 was nicknamed the Flu Games after Jordan scored 38 points in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals despite an illness. Michael Johnsons gold shoes are still talked about from when he broke the 200 and 400 meter world records at the 1996 Olympics.Much of this years Nike Olympic products have been planned for 24 months, according to Nike Basketball color lead Eugene Rogers.Durants latest signature shoe, the KD 9, first released in late June in a grey colorway, but the red, white and blue version is what Durant has worn during the Olympic exhibition games.We kind of knew Kevin Durant would be the guy who would almost be the leader, said Nike Basketball senior design director Leo Chang, who worked on the KD 9, Kyrie 2 and Hyperdunk 2016. It was kind of his time to shine and we wanted that moment to be great for him.Durant certainly isnt the only player rocking new kicks. Anthony and Jimmy Butler debuted the Jordan 31 in the team picture two weeks ago. Paul George has been wearing the Nike Hyperdunk 2016 Flyknit. Kyrie Lowry is wearing Adidas summer release of the Crazylight 2016.I think everybodys going to be watching us, so for the brand its very important, Butler said, with me and (Carmelo) being here and both wearing the shoe, I think everyone gets to see what it looks like, how it performs and hopefully it makes us play to the top of our game.Each company benefits from a global audience that dwarfs the NBA Finals, Super Bowl or World Series, but each also hopes for an iconic moment that builds a storyline that lasts decades.You always kind of have to anticipate a moment of greatness like that, Chang said. That means the best execution of the product out on the floor at that time so when that moment is remembered, people remember the product as well.The marketing opportunities have gone beyond what the athletes wear at the Olympics. Sneaker companies have re-released several models from the past with Olympic-inspired colors or other attachments.Edler said the hype and patriotism surrounding the Olympics always drives consumers to the stores and people in the United States are drawn to red, white and blue colorways.Companies arent just putting out special editions to coincide with the Olympics, but also giving planned product an Olympic theme. James, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry have had red, white and blue versions of their signature line this summer -- and none are playing in Rio.Nike has been releasing the Nike Air Prestos during the last year, so thats going to be a shoe thats Olympified, said Corey Bullough, owner of Fice Gallery and Boutique in Salt Lake City. Same thing with the (Nike Air More) Uptempo, thats a shoe they decided to bring back six months ago. ... They tend to stick to their formula for the year.This year players and shoe companies are hoping the formula includes a memorable golden moment at the Rio Games.Drew Lock Broncos Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Terrell Davis Broncos Jersey .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Shannon-Sharpe-Jersey/ . Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said. DreMont Jones Womens Jersey . Fernandez, coached in Toronto by former two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, scored 267.11 points and is the first champion to successfully defend since Russias Evgeny Plushenko in 2005 and 2006. Noah Fant Womens Jersey .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again.The Chinese Super League might have its fair share of knockers, but Socceroos defender Ryan McGowan isnt one of them.The 27-year-old is enjoying a second stint in China with Henan Jianye, and rejects the idea it isnt good for a footballers development.It just depends where on the field you play.The Chinese Super League has become one of the richest in the world, with little-known clubs rivalling established European giants for star players.Internationals Graziano Pelle of Italy, Colombian Jackson Martinez and Brazils Hulk headline their sides.That makes being a defender the best challenge a player could hope for.I was in Scotland before and I would never face the type of striker I now face, he said.(No one in the) A-League would face players of this calibre ... star-quality strikers who would walk into almost any team in the world.You get these one-v-one battles and big-pressure games, which is what you want to be involved in.Coach Ange Postecoglou has spoken of the challenges of playing in China, suggesting a safer bet for a long-term career would be Europeaan football.ddddddddddddVeteran stiker Tim Cahill is the most famous Australian to have played there, with Shanghai Shenhua and Hangzhou Greentown.The 36-year-old was an advocate for the league while in China, but after signing with A-League club Melbourne City in August, he said he could have stayed in China and coasted through it.For for McGowan - and fellow China-based Socceroo defenders Trent Sainsbury and Matthew Spiranovic - playing in the league is sensation.Papiss Cisse ... Gervinho, (Ezequiel) Lavezzi, Paulinho, (Alex) Teixeira ... theyre all forward players, he said, listing international Chinese Super League strikers.When they come to town, the coach says, Thats your job, Ryan. Youre the foreign defender. You need to keep a clean sheet and look after these guys.That forms its own pressures. If we lose 2-0 they dont tend to look at the Chinese players, it tends to be my fault, or Spiranovics or Sainsburys.But thats good. ' ' '