Can you think of a player who was a sneakerhead back in the day? Today’s hoopers tend to follow the trend, with all sorts of signature shoes released along with fashionable basketball gear. But it wouldn’t have been the exact case about 20 years ago right? Well, Young Trece was one picky teenager. Paul George was fond of Allen Iverson‘s Reebok sneakers at the time and rightfully so. Iverson not only influenced his fans with his game but also with his style. However, PG’s father was more inclined toward Converse.

In the recent episode, PG’s father, Paul George Sr. revealed young George’s demands for his basketball gear. Of course, as a young teen trying to shine out, teenagers do consider wearing the best gear and sneakers. But for PG, it was all about the Iverson sneakers.

“But me and him used to bump heads on the sneakers. He was into Iversons at the time. And I’m like, ‘I like the Converse’. You know, and the price was nice too. And so, I think I got him like a pair, and he had worn them down. He wanted another pair, I said ‘Alright’. I think they were like 70-80 bucks at the time. I said ‘I don’t have that, but I got 50, I can get you a pair of Converse’. And he didn’t want ’em’, but I still got ’em. And he did not wear those… But yeah, we used to bump heads on the kind of gear that he wanted.”, said George Sr.

Now, as much as PG didn’t prefer Converse, he likes them just the same today. There’s no doubt that AI had influenced hoopers to play in style during the 2000s. But then again, Converse sneakers were also as fashionable as any other sneaker at the time. Fast forward to today, there may be a chance that Paul George might signal a move to Converse. But why is that? Doesn’t PG already have a long-time sneaker deal with Nike?

Yes, the new member of the Sixers signed his Nike deal back in 2010 before his rookie season. However, his first signature line wasn’t launched until 2017. So far, Nike PGs have released 6 editions and all have been affordable and featured top-notch performance. Sadly, Nike will be ending PG’s signature line as the deal comes to an end. George signed a six-sneaker deal, as the partnership came to an end after Nike PG 6.

But fans need to worry because this won’t be the end of exciting PG releases. Nike has planned to release retro editions of PG’s sneakers, which will definitely be a collector’s delight. Though does this mean that George might sign a deal with Converse?

Paul George has the freedom to wear any kicks of his choice

As of now, George can rock any sneakers of his choice on and off the court. On the other hand, if he decides to commit to a brand, Converse wouldn’t be a bad option after all. Converse’s revenue jumped from $1.8 billion in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2023. It would be a good business decision to go with Converse as George would be their first NBA athlete after years. The only players to have signed a deal with Converse back in the day were Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Dennis Rodman, and Dwyane Wade.

Paul George would be the first to ever sign a deal with Converse in the modern era. Regardless, he might prefer wearing Kobes, as he has been since November 2022. It will be interesting to see whether PG looks to sign an endorsement deal anytime soon. The upcoming season will have a lot on the line for PG and the Sixers, with fans expecting nothing less than a deep playoff run this year.

What are your thoughts on Paul George picking Iversons over Converse? Do you think he should sign an endorsement deal at this point in his career? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.