Gilas Pilipinas rocks the Nike LeBron 14 “Agimat.” Photo from Nike PH
Already endowed with “Gilas,” the country’s national men’s basketball team will get an “Agimat” to boost its chances in the coming Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) tournament.
Riding on a culture rich in magic and mythology, Nike created a limited edition shoe inspired by the Filipino’s belief in amulets and talismans and presented these to members of Gilas Pilipinas Wednesday night.
Photo from Nike PH
The shoe is the latest in the LeBron 14 signature line and the colorway is dubbed “Agimat,” representative of charms and medallions believed to give humans super strength or shield them against ill fortune.
“I feel a lot of pride because it’s the first time I saw a shoe that has Filipino writings in them,” said Gilas forward Troy Rosario, referring to the words “Para sa kadakilaan” that appear in the shoe’s pull tab and heel cushion.
The Lebron 14 Agimat already debuted during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sweep of the Toronto Raptors. LeBron James, the league’s 4-time MVP, wore them in the last two games to close out the Raptors.
Photo from Nike PH
The Agimat features a midsole cushioning system that makes it not just the sleekest but also fastest Lebron shoe to date. The limited edition pairs come in elegantly-designed blue boxes with a faux medallion inscribed with the words: “Mula mandirigma, sa mandirigma.”
James, who carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to a historic come-from-behind victory in the 2016 NBA Finals, was so awed and inspired by the passion of Filipino athletes and fans for the game of basketball that he wanted to celebrate it with in the hopes of inspiring Pinoy ballers, including the country’s national team, to chase their own piece of greatness.
With graphics inspired by traditional woven fabrics and distinct cultural elements built into the shoe design, the Lebron 14 Agimat combines the best of Nike performance innovation and Filipino heritage.
The Nike Lebron 14 Agimat will have an exclusive early launch in the Philippines on May 20, ahead of its worldwide release date. It will be available only at Nike Park Fort BGC, Nike Park Glorietta 4, Titan Two Parkade BGC and Titan22.com.
The shoe retails for 8,895 PHP.