KG's New Footwear Launch!

Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics and adidas Commemorate the NBA Finals with
Limited Edition Footwear Launch

All sales profits will go to NBA Cares community partners in the Boston area.

For Immediate Release – Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics and adidas announced today the launch of a rare version of Garnett’s 2008-09 adidas Team Signature Commander shoe. This footwear release was designed to commemorate the Celtics’ historic run at an NBA Championship. adidas will produce only eight pairs per game of this exciting shoe to be sold at retail, starting at 10:00am on June 5, 2008 (as few as 32 pairs or as many as 56 pairs will be available depending on the number of games The Finals goes to). One special pair of shoes autographed by KG will be auctioned off on NBA.com after The Finals. All profits from the sale of these shoes will go to NBA Cares community partners in the Boston area.

The adidas Team Signature KG Commander is scheduled to launch in October 2008, but for this year’s NBA Finals, Kevin Garnett will wear a special version that will be highlighted by the inclusion of the coveted Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy on the medial side, and an embroidered callout to games 1 thru 7 on the lateral side. The number of that night’s game will be in green while the others remain white. The numbers 1 thru 7 also get larger as each game grows in significance.

“All season long it has been about we and not me, so as we head into the NBA Finals I wanted to do something special for the Boston community. That is why we came up with this limited edition adidas Team Signature KG Commander,” stated Garnett. “Since day one, the fans of Boston have made me feel like family, so to do this and be able to give back to them is a great honor.”

Another key attribute that has adorned KG’s shoes throughout the years are his tributes to two of his good friends and mentors: Malik Sealy (former Timberwolves teammate) and Kirby Puckett (former Minnesota Twins Superstar Centerfielder). Malik’s tribute is located under the strap and says “2 Malik”, while Kirby’s call out, “KP 34” is located on the back of the shoe, just below the adidas logo.

“KG redefines what passion means on the basketball court but this energy also spills over to include every off-court initiative that he is involved with as well,” stated Lawrence Norman, VP Global Basketball for adidas. “His switch never turns off - KG is 100% authentic and his drive to make a difference in the community is real and ongoing. This was the perfect concept for a guy like KG and adidas to get involved with as we both enjoy finding fun, creative ways to give back to the local community.”

“KG has shown throughout his career that he is a consummate team player, whose passion for the game, his teammates and his community is unmatched,” stated Rich Gotham, President, Boston Celtics. “KG embodies all of the characteristics that all true Celtic greats have and this is one of many ways that Kevin gives back to the city of Boston and its fans.”


The limited edition adidas Team Signature Commander will only be available at Celtics.com, the TD Banknorth Garden Pro Shop and NBA Store in New York City. Each pair of adidas Team Signature KG Commanders will retail for $1017 (to commemorate the drive for championship #17).

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About adidas
adidas has been providing innovative products for the world’s best athletes for more than 50 years, from past NBA legends to today’s superstars, such as Chauncey Billups, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady and Candace Parker.

On April 11, 2006 adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.

About the Boston Celtics
A charter member of the Basketball Association of America (which evolved into the National Basketball Association) since 1946, the Boston Celtics have won a record 16 NBA Championships, including eight (8) in a row from 1959-1966, and have won NBA titles in three (3) different eras. In addition, 31 former Celtics players, management or staff have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. During the 2004-05 NBA season, the Celtics won their first Atlantic Division title in 12 seasons. For more information on the Celtics, log on to www.celtics.com.

About the NBA The NBA reaches fans and consumers worldwide through the licensing and marketing of consumer products bearing the league’s trademarks and player attributes. Over 200 licensees manufacture, sell and market NBA branded products that are promoted worldwide and sold in more than 100,000 retail locations, in 100 countries on six continents. Major categories include video games, apparel, footwear, sporting goods and trading cards. Twenty-five percent of merchandise sales are generated from outside the United States. NBA merchandise is sold at over 50,000 retail locations in China. Over one million fans visit the NBA Store each year and the 2006-07 season marked the Store's best sales year ever. In addition to offering merchandise for all 30 NBA teams, 14 WNBA team and 14 NBA Development League teams, the Store features multimedia attractions, a fully operational broadcast booth and an official half-court used for special events, and regularly-scheduled appearances by NBA and WNBA players, legends and celebrities. NBAStore.com re-launched in November 2007 with the most comprehensive online assortment of NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League merchandise. The site is visited by over 20 million people each year and there is an online store in Europe.