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Watch James Harden Unveil NASCAR-Themed Kicks for 2019 NBA All-Star Game
February 14, 2019
James Harden is bringing a bit of Charlotte flavor to his All-Star Weekend kicks.
The Houston Rockets guard unveiled his shoes for Sunday's All-Star Game in an interview with EA Sports and said they were inspired by Charlotte's rich racing history. The shoes feature a checkered flag on each upper and have blue, yellow and red Adidas stripes on one of the sides, as well as a "car detail" on both sides.
"We just try to come up with something very creative about the city that we're in," Harden said. "This year, the All-Star Game is in Charlotte, which is known for auto racing, so we wanted to put some emphasis on that and show them some love about their city."
NASCAR holds an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the sport's Hall of Fame is located in the city. NASCAR's first official stock-car race was held at Charlotte Speedway in 1949, and the state of North Carolina has produced Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and a number of other high-profile drivers.
Harden made the announcement along with EA as part of the company's release of the NBA Live 19 All-Star Edition. The edition adds new NBA stars to Ultimate Team mode, past All-Star uniforms and an NBA Live All-Star squad player for Court Battles. EA Sports will also kick off weekly Versus mode, which allows players to win a number of prizes.
Harden is in the third iteration of his signature shoe with Adidas. The brand signed the reigning MVP to a $200 million contract in 2015.
"I'm in the process of all my shoes and details, so pretty much I know everything that's going on," Harden said. "I'm just happy to be a part of the process and see the finishing touches, and then actually go out there in perform in them and play well."