Anthony Mason Jr. Pays New York-Sized Sneaker Tribute to His Father
NEW YORK — You often hear about the role that brotherhood plays in professional basketball. Dwyane Wade's recent comments about losing Jimmy Butler as a teammate, shared on Instagram, was another example of how friendships formed on the court can last a lifetime.
Under the eternal lights of New York City, the brotherhood Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason shared in the early 1990s remains intact. Just ask Mason's son, Anthony Jr. He felt the unrelenting strength of this bond, formulated on the hardwood floor of Madison Square Garden, when his father passed away in February 2015.
"When my pops passed away, Ewing sent us a shoe," he revealed to Bleacher Report.
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Two years after Ewing sent the Mason family a gesture of sneakers, Anthony Jr. was busy putting the finishing touches on a New York-sized tribute he would lend his father.
In 2017, Anthony Mason Sr. received his very own Ewing Athletics shoe.
"I just wanted to give people a memory from back then," the 30-year-old explained. "I wanted to put a smile on the faces of Knicks fans."
The process of creating a sneaker from scratch was undiscovered land to the younger Mason—a caveat Ewing's company ignored. It allowed him to take complete creative control of his father's shoe. Everything from the New York Knicks colorway to using Ewing's original silhouette as a base was all a product of Mason Jr.'s creativity.
"That's the most satisfaction I got. Thinking of something in your mind that no one sees. Then when it comes out, it's how you thought it would be," he explained.
Like his father, Mason Jr. spent his entire life playing hoops. It's all he knew. Whether he was at St. John's University or in the confines of the family home, the elder statesman was keeping a watchful eye on his son—especially when it came to sneakers.
"I was personally always a Jordan guy. It was not going down being Anthony Mason's son. I couldn’t wear Jordans around him when he was playing. I would get some heat on it," Mason Jr. recalled, letting off an infectious laugh as the memories flooded back in.
Despite being a self-proclaimed "Jordan guy," Mason Jr. spent his childhood decked out in Converse—the shoe his father proudly endorsed. When asked why he didn't choose Converse to unveil the tribute shoe, Junior talked about how natural it felt working with Ewing Athletics:
"It was more so energy with me. I like to move off organic things. I don't want to force anything. I wanted to bring out my pop's shoe. It was the perfect fit with Ewing."
The Ewing Athletics x Anthony Mason Jr. Concept dropped at the sneaker boutique Jimmy Jazz in Queens, immediately selling out. According to Junior, this release is only the tip of the iceberg detailing the Mason family story. "Future sneakers are coming," he casually mentioned.
Brotherhood means everything to Mason Jr. Whether it was Ewing sending his family a shoe or Charles Oakley paying for the flowers at his grandmother's funeral, the bond his father and teammates share will overcome the test of time. Today, that bond has extended to a younger generation.
All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless noted otherwise.
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