NBA impersonator Max is Nicee, Foot Locker celebrate 'Evolution of the Swoosh'
Instagrammer Max is Nicee, whose impersonations of basketball players have repeatedly gone viral over the past year, has joined Foot Locker in paying tribute to the history of Nike's swoosh.
Max stars alongside Golden State Warriors guard D'Angelo Russell, rapper Anuel AA, and other celebrities in Foot Locker's digital campaign "We Live Sneakers" to celebrate the launch of the "Evolution of the Swoosh" footwear and apparel collection. He spoke to theScore about the campaign ahead of its rollout Thursday.
"(I'm) blessed to be a part of the 'Life in a Day of a Sneakerhead' and the 'We Live Sneakers' short film," Max said. "Just being one of the faces to represent is really dope."
Max said he came up with the idea to start imitating NBA players while playing basketball with his friends. His videos have garnered reactions from the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Looking at his own history with Nike, Max named the LeBron 7 as the sneaker that was most special to him.
"It was a hot shoe at the time," he said. "Everyone was talking about it and I loved it because it was comfortable to hoop in and LeBron's my favorite player."
The "Evolution of the Swoosh" collection will consist of three releases, each celebrating the changes that Nike's logo has undergone over the years. The "Script Swoosh," releasing Aug. 10, commemorates Carolyn Davidson's 1971 hand-drawn design. It will be followed by the "Swoosh Chain" - one of the earliest interpretations of the logo - and "Sunburst" - developed in 1972 as a symmetric translation for apparel - on Aug. 17 and Aug. 31, respectively.
(Photos courtesy: Foot Locker)