OUT OF the Nike “Force” campaign, David Robinson was the most visible Nike asset outside of Charles Barkley. The early to mid-90s had Nike play-up David Robinson: a clean-cut, Annapolis grad who served as a Naval officer for two years prior to beginning to solely play out his contract with the San Antonio Spurs in the 1989-1990 NBA season, where he led his San Antonio Spurs to the greatest single-season turnaround in basketball, morphing the club from a 20-win nobody to 56-win championship contender. Hipping Robinson up as a new school Mr. Rogers-type was genius and resonated well with parents who had to fork over $150 USD for Robinson’s Nike Air Command Force sneaker (as seen in the clip).

The sneaker to this day is a cherished item by many collectors for a number of reasons, from the bold turquoise and neon splashes on the midsole (there were two white based versions with such accents), to the fact that it was a Nike sneaker with “pump” technology similar to that of competitor Reebok. It was also famously worn by “Billy Hoyle,” Woody Harrelson’s Venice Beach courts’ hustler in Ron Shelton’s White Men Can’t Jump. I personally love the sneaker because multiple kids on my block had it, to go along with the Robinson Champion replica jersey. Memories, man.