Tucker is the Rockets’ ‘heart and sole.’
P.J. Tucker has just finished his 13th year of playing professional basketball. And the 34-year-old just so happens to have the best ‘shoe game’ in the NBA. That has made him a fashion icon to many people around the league and also to many fans, like me.
Tucker, a role player who plays a hard-nosed style of defense, also rocks with the most fashionable kicks in the NBA. He’s the NBA’s “Sneaker King.”
Tucker has been in the NBA for seven years and quickly became known for his defensive skills and kicks. When he was with the Suns, Tucker began breaking NBA rules regarding shoewear on the court. For example, Tucker would wear one shoe that didn’t match his team jersey–a no-no by NBA rules.
Tucker would break the rules, pay fines, and go about his business of showing true on-court style. He once wore “The Nike Yeezys” when he was with the Suns. From that point on, I knew that this man would change the game footwear-wise.
His biggest problem early-on was that not many people pay attention to the Suns. Tucker didn’t get much air time to show off his kicks. That changed when he moved to Toronto and, especially, when he paired up with James Harden and childhood friend, Chris Paul. That’s when Tucker really got noticed–as player and Sneaker King.
And there are plenty of reasons to notice. This man owns at least 3000 pairs of shoes. His shoe budget? It’s around $200,000 a year. Yowza!
Most people wear one pair at a time. Not Tucker. In one NBA game, he wore SIX different pairs.
Can you say ‘crazy’? Well, maybe. But maybe not. The Rockets have become one of the most fashionable teams in the NBA thanks to P.J., including his teammate James Harden. The two share the same stylist, Kesha McLeod, and she is the mastermind behind many of their looks.
But let’s not forget that Tucker is on the court because of his defensive skills. But still, when you put the two together–defense and kicks–you could say that Tucker is the ‘heart and sole’ of these Rockets.
There’s a downside, though. The NBA has started enforcing shoewear rules because of him. But don’t count out this dude! He’ll come up with something new.
He’s under contract until 2021 and, if I were GM Daryl Morey, I’d forget about any trade talks. Tucker brings a lot of attention to Houston (the city and the team) because, well, he’s the most interesting man in the NBA!
Gotta’ have that!
