Set To Drop: Reebok Kamikaze 2 “Glory Years”
Published:October 26, 2020
“It’s Live in 95”
In the year 1995, my dad was blasting Tupac’s “Me Against The World” while I was munching on some Dunkaroos. While I made “SWISH!” sound effects with an ice glazed animal cracker in one hand, the other hand was holding a Sega controller in anticipation. Quickly, Wiping the crumbs on my GAP hoodie, my eyes were glued to cartridge classic, “NBA JAM”. Despite Chicago Bulls' clear popularity in the league, my favorite team to play with was the Seattle Supersonics. Why you may ask? Two words..........Reign Man!
“Can’t stand the Reign”
The perfect storm was created by Shawn Kemp’s thunderous dunks. His shower posse consisted of shooters like Hersey Hawkins, Detlef Schrempf, and Ervin Johnson to name a few. Gary Payton’s defensive pedigree fit Kemp’s skillfully aggressive gameplay like a “glove”. With George Karl appointed as Head Coach, the 1995-1996 Seattle Supersonics were “The Glory Years” that made the franchise championship contenders.
“Road to Glory”
New and improved, the Supersonics updated their logo, uniform, and arena. Setting the stage for the best run in their history, Kemp and company had a groundbreaking 64-18 record. They also led the Western Conference in scoring and placed 2nd in scoring defense. Slowly but surely becoming the spirit of Seattle sports, the team earned 4 Division titles and a 1996 NBA Finals appearance. The 14 games winning streak from February through March gave them needed momentum to go deep into the playoffs.
Supersonics Success in 95-96 seasons NBA Playoffs:
1st Round Western Conference - Sacramento Kings - Won series in 4 games against Mitch Richmond.
2nd Round Western Conference Semifinals - Houston Rockets - Won series against Hakeem Olajuwon's 2-time defending Champions.
3rd Round Western Conference Finals- Utah Jazz - Won series in 7 games against Karl Malone.
“The Best Out of the West”
‘You Got Something To Say?’ is a campaign catchphrase that explained Shawn’s locomotive approach to attacking the rim. Iconic for posterizing frightened opponents, his powerful slam dunks made #40 a number to stare in amazement. Overall, Reign Man delivered in the post, crashed the boards, and lockdown opponents with superb athleticism. The 5-time NBA All-Star averaged a double-double all 6 seasons with the Supersonics. Kemp’s 23.3 PPG was the offensive juggernaut needed to take his team to the NBA Finals (to eventually face defeat by MJ and the Chicago Bulls).
“Causing Straight Kamikaze”
The Reebok Kamikaze II ‘Glory Years’ is a midsole that has premium Nubuck materials to cover the upper. Bold zigzags grace the silhouette with shock absorbed hexagonal cushioning. Solid Black fills the top half, with a hint of Green near the lower mudguard. SuperSonic colors of green and red are prominent on the lightweight EVA midsole. The rubber outsole is durable to score with confidence and defend with dominance. Small reflective details blend in well in Black reflective stars located on the heel pull tabs. To commemorate the celebration, a crafted ‘G’ is draped in a 6-star salute to basketball greatness.
