The second round of the NBA Playoffs is in full gear, and if you have been keeping your eyes on the Indiana Pacers then you noticed Brooklyn native Lance Stephenson bringing back an iconic shoe from the late ‘90s — the AND1 Tai Chi. You might remember them on the feet of Vince Carter when he bodied the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2000, but now it’s Lance’s time to shine. The NYC high school legend attended Lincoln (He Got Game) and broke the state scoring record formerly held by Sebastian Telfair, another Railsplitter alum. With Stephenson proving his game could translate in the league and helping Indy to one of the franchise's best seasons, AND1 chose him to be the face of the brand ready for resurgence — we’re ready for it too.
On the AND1 Tai Chis coming back:
"I told them that I wanted to bring the old school AND1s back, back when they were hot and the mixtapes were out. I just want everyone to like AND1s again."
Why he waited to bring the Tai Chis back for the Playoffs:
"They're more exclusive sneakers when you don't wear them in the regular season and because everybody watches playoff games. There's more attention on everyone’s sneakers that are on the floor."
Why he decided to go with the Tai Chis:
"Those are my favorite AND1s — I want it (the Tai Chi mid) to come out in different colors, I think I could come up with some other cool colors. I want them to make a pair with a gel bottom."
On other colorways of the Tai Chi:
Right now, Lance has two colorways: his own PEs - the white and blue and black and yellow, to go with his Pacers' uniform. More colorways should drop later. No word on a release date but the Tai Chi will be released in the near future.
On the old gear making a comeback:
Lance doesn't know if they're bringing back all the old gear like the original shorts - but he is pushing for them too. They did bring the t-shirts back — you can check him out wearing one on his Instagram page.
On other AND1s:
Right now, the plan is for Lance to only wear the Tai Chis because they're his favorite — he is unsure whether other models will be making a comeback anytime soon. Stay tuned, though.
