- 8,526
- 16
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
Childress can bang. he has underrated athleticism
Josh Childress...
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by dlo13,
- Start date
- 1,895
- 10
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2007
J Chill...
- 11,234
- 185
- Joined
- May 19, 2004
I have to bump this just to add the story...
What started out as a hobby is now a passion for Hawks guard Josh Childress.
Just scan row after dizzying row of shoes in his closet - there are more than 500 pairs. Some are worn but most never have been anything more than admired. Every pair is meticulously cared for. It's clear that this is more than just a shoe fetish.
Childress is a bona fide connoisseur of "kicks." That's the word he uses to describe his unique collection of Nike footwear. It includes many of the popular Air Force 1's and Air Jordan collections in colors and styles rarely seen at your local shoe store.
"It's my passion," Childress said. "Some guys play cards. Some guys collect watches or cars or whatever. My thing is shoes."
Childress is more than just your average collector. He's a shoe scholar.
His teammates chide him for knowing which shoe - brand, make and model - is worn by every player on every team in the NBA.
"I'm a simple guy," Marvin Williams said, "I need a pair of black ones and a pair of white ones and I'm good. That's not good enough for Chilly. He takes it to another level."
Hawks forward Josh Smith insists Hawks captain Joe Johnson has more shoes than Childress, but isn't nearly as passionate about his collection.
"Have you ever seen this man's [Johnson's] closet?" Smith said. "He's never put on half of his shoes ... but Chills, he is ridiculous. Ridiculous."
Childress is so true to the shoe game that he and his friends have contests to see whose collection is best. They go so far as to photograph them and E-mail the pictures back and forth to judge.
"This is a guy who takes a trip to China masked as a Basketball Without Borders mission or whatever," Johnson joked, "but we all know he went over there to get some [darn] kicks. One pair."
That's how it all started for Childress, with one pair.
His older brothers Jamal and Onye were "shoe heads from way back." They stoked his interest in exclusive kicks before it was all the rage.
The summer before he started high school, Childress said Jamal dangled a pair of Air Max 97s in his face. He told Childress that if he worked hard he might get a pair himself.
"I worked extra hard," Childress said. "I went so hard. I put in an extra 1,000 jump ropes, lunges and everything. That was the hottest shoe at the time. I went crazy working out."
Jamal was a manager at a shoe store in Los Angeles, Childress said. He would often order just two pairs of a specific shoe, making him the only one to get them.
"He had so much exclusive stuff it was just sick," Childress said. "Both my older brothers still have original Jordans, I'm talking vintage Jordans, laced up in boxes that have never touched the ground."
Throughout high school and college Childress used contacts and the Internet to start building his massive collection. He prided himself on having the hot shoes months before they hit stores.
But it wasn't until the summer of 2004, when the Hawks made him the sixth pick in the draft, that Childress was financially able to pursue his passion on such a grand scale.
"It can get expensive, obviously," Childress said. "But being with Nike certainly makes it a lot easier now. The only problem is in high school you were the man, so you got everything first. And now I'm competing with guys like Kobe [Bryant] and LeBron [James], guys with their own [signature] shoes."
Depending on how things play out this summer, when Childress will be a restricted free agent, he could be in competition with some of Atlanta's hottest shoe stores.
Childress wants to find a way to meld his passion and business interests. He's also trying to end the proliferation of "knock offs" that he says are ruining the shoe game for the purists, like him and his friends and family.
"If I'm still here, I'm definitely going to open a store of my own," Childress said of his plans to open a boutique for fellow collectors of the most exclusive kicks. "Being from [Los Angeles], we have all sorts of spots like that. Atlanta's a big enough city where there is a market for a boutique spot like that.
"Plus, all the fakes are killing me. You see a dude with some Jordans on with Gucci on the side or with SpongeBob on 'em and all you can do is cringe. I don't know who does that stuff and I honestly don't want to know. Everybody wants to knock off what's been popular and what's been great. But you have to stay true to the game."
Now I really want dude re-signed just to give Atlanta another decent shoe spot...is that wrong?
- 159,741
- 140,929
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2001
Is he EVER gonna do ANYTHING with that damn bush of his?
- 8,526
- 16
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
"This is a guy who takes a trip to China masked as a Basketball Without Borders mission or whatever," Johnson joked, "but we all know he went over there to get some [darn] kicks. One pair."
cardo ln
Banned
- 84
- 10
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2008
My boy Chillz, I hope we do the right thing like Spike and resign him too. It would be a great loss on and off court.
- 11,629
- 62
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2002
"This is a guy who takes a trip to China masked as a Basketball Without Borders mission or whatever," Johnson joked, "but we all know he went over there to get some [darn] kicks. One pair."
i know he ain't collecting fitteds though.....
- 20,261
- 2,188
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2006
- 8,322
- 335
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2006
Heat.
. Much respect to J Chill
shoefreak14
Banned
- 358
- 10
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2002
Gotta respect the collection
- 7
- 10
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2005
Thanks to all yall who appreciate and respect the collection. Its tough getting alot of things because when they do QS they generally stop at sz13 and I'ma 14. But any of you guys who have big feet and want to sell some stuff hit me up. I really only rock AF1's and J's but if you have some heat let meknow. For the record, I don't have fake kicks. I have some PE's that I have collected over the years from players who wear 14's. Also, to thehaters (OHyeah10 and Acidicality)... I'm sure neither of you have any athletic ability but if you're so intent on talking trash then we can always playagainst each other. We can put the video on NT just so everyone on here can see you get torched.
- 2,740
- 216
- Joined
- May 9, 2007
So Josh, do you get any PEs from Nike or do you rock whatever you want on the court?
- 147
- 10
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2004
oh snap, he finally appeared.
- 24,995
- 23,702
- Joined
- May 17, 2007
- 4,867
- 1,856
- Joined
- May 30, 2005
Nah can't be.
- 1,333
- 164
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2000
j. chill is cool with me.. gotta support my home team hawks! what's good with that sneaker shop? atlanta needs more
- 8,526
- 16
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2007
yo Josh, nice collection
i was wondering about the PEs too, what PEs have you gotten? pics?
i was wondering about the PEs too, what PEs have you gotten? pics?
- 1,866
- 132
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2007
nice collection. Those are some nice paintings also. Hopefully you resign with the Hawks, you all are building with a great young nucleus could be a problem inthe East in a few years.
- 402
- 10
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2007
If that really is JChill
I saw you at TGI Fridays like 2 yrs ago wearing some 3s
and I traded bum **$ Luke Walton for you on 2K8
I saw you at TGI Fridays like 2 yrs ago wearing some 3s
and I traded bum **$ Luke Walton for you on 2K8
- 11,640
- 506
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
half way decent collection....not so impressed.
- 402
- 10
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2002
I think jchill is one of the most underrated players in the game right now. Hey, where would you want to play next josh?
- 9,892
- 188
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2005
- 10,050
- 2,194
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2001
- 20,261
- 2,188
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2006
- 2,613
- 11
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
i pmed him asking for a jersey, i guess he doesnt like me or its not him.
