OBJ Wears Allen Iverson's Reebok Cleats in Ravens Win
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Saturday night's AFC divisional round playoff game was not even close. The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 to keep their dream season going for at least one more week. One of the many exciting storylines of Baltimore's campaign has been the return of Odell Beckham Jr.
After missing all of last season due to injuries, Beckham has returned without missing a beat this year. He has proven to be a reliable receiver for Lamar Jackson and an even more sturdy part of the sneaker community. Beckham had an acrimonious breakup with Nike, which resulted in litigation (the results of that lawsuit are still pending at this time). So, Beckham has been a footwear free agent throughout this NFL season.
Beckham was targeted once last night, pulling in a 12-yard reception. It was a quiet game by his lofty standards, but the veteran wide receiver's footwear did the talking for him. "OBJ" used his cleats to pay tribute to DMV legend and sports culture icon Allen Iverson.
Beckham wore a custom pair of the Reebok Answer IV that had been converted from basketball sneakers into football cleats. It is no surprise that The Shoe Surgeon was the artist tapped to customize the footwear of one of the league's most popular players.
Iverson's fifth signature sneaker is synonymous with the best season of his NBA career. After its launch in 2000, Iverson wore the Reebok Answer IV during his MVP season that ended in a hard-fought loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals. Online shoppers can choose between a wide variety of Iverson's retro sneakers on the Reebok website.
Unfortunately, Iverson's signature footwear has never officially been redesigned for the football field. However, that would be a good idea given the trend and the fact that Iverson was a quarterback in high school at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia. Shout-out to Beckham and The Shoe Surgeon for seeing the vision and executing it flawlessly.
Baltimore is onto the AFC Championship, where they will take on the winner of today's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. It is safe to assume that Beckham will break out more heat next week. Follow FanNationKicks.com for all your footwear news from the sports world.