Aaron Kr. 
What do Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley all have in common? No, not the Hall of Fame or the 1992 Dream Team. At one time or another, they were all posterized by the man known as the Human Highlight Film, and so was just about everyone else in the NBA during the 1980’s for that matter. Before Jordan-mania took over the league, Dominique Wilkins was the most electrifying show around. Despite being a 9-time NBA All-Star, 1985-86 Scoring Champion and one of only six players in history to average at least 25 points per game in 10 consecutive seasons, Nique still seems to be overlooked by many fans when they discuss the greats of his era. In fact, Wilkins was controversially left out of the NBA Top 50 Players list that was named in 1996, an oversight that he eloquently addresses in the quote that appears in the window of Packer Shoes as they prepare to honor Nique with their collaboration installment of the Reebok Pump 20th Anniversary Collection.
With their Pump design, Packer chose to pay homage to the early days of the Pump and one of the driving forces behind their initial popularity. Although he was the number one Reebok Pump endorser in the NBA, Dominique never had his own personalized version of the shoe. Packer Shoes has taken it upon themselves to right that injustice by creating one for him now. As you have probably already deduced from the teasers, the Packer Reebok Pump2o offering is inspired by the Human Highlight Film and is equipped with an Atlanta Hawks color scheme and several personal nods to Dominique. The most notable touch comes by way of the gold “85” and “90” stitching on the back of the heels, a tribute to his two Slam Dunk Champion titles.
Aside from being a prolific scorer, the art of high-flying dunk acrobatics defined Wilkins’ game, making him a huge fan-favorite. Packer Shoes will celebrate the release of the Nique Pump by covering nearly their entire floor with a giant photo of number 21 in flight. On Thursday November 19th, the decorative touch will serve as the red carpet for the Human Highlight Film himself when he arrives for the in-store Pump20 release event. Nique will be on hand at 10pm to sign autographs, talk to fans and if you’re lucky, throw down a vicious windmill dunk in your face. There will also be matching t-shirts and a special DJ VinRoc mixtape available, featuring clips of NBA announcers marveling over Dominique highlights spliced into the tracks. Keep reading for a look at the official video introduction to the shoe and a peek at the amazing floor graphic installation. Check back early next week for the official unveiling of detailed images of the Packer Shoes x Reebok Pump20 collaboration.
Additional image via SnkrFrkr.
