Holiday season is upon us, and 2016 is almost in the history books. Retros have been released and remastered, and some basketball sneakers are entering the market for the first time. There have been a ton of sneakers to be thankful for and more on the way next month. We look back at the holiday sneaker releases we’re most thankful for and look forward to the grails coming in the near future.
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb is recovering from a hamstring injury and hasn’t played since Week 7. His official playing status for Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts has yet to be announced.
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Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Cobb was “not probably as far along as he’d like to be” in recovering from his injury.
Mike Spofford of Packers.com noted Cobb “might back off on Thursday after a heavier workload on Wednesday.”
When asked if Cobb will play in Week 9, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said, “I hope so.”
The 2014 Pro Bowler is having a second consecutive disappointing season. Cobb is averaging a career-low 9.9 yards per reception, though he ranks second on the team in receptions with 39 catches in six games.
The Green Bay offense has already been hit hard by injuries in 2016, with running back Eddie Lacy uncertain to return this season because of an ankle injury that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not looked like his usual MVP-caliber self this season due to a lack of explosiveness from his receiving corps and his team’s mediocre running game, so taking Cobb out of the mix leaves the Packers with a tall mountain to climb.
If Cobb is forced to miss extended time, third-year receiver Davante Adams would be a natural fit in his spot. Adams has 40 catches in seven games and is a solid underneath option.
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver and fill-in running back Ty Montgomery is battling a kidney ailment related to his sickle cell trait. He missed the Packers’ Week 8 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and his playing status for Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts has yet to be revealed.
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Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Montgomery was “working extensively” during Thursday’s session.
ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky noted: “Montgomery said the symptoms that kept him out were related to sickle cell trait. He said doctors told him it isn’t career-threatening and he even hopes to play this week against the Colts.”
Montgomery’s agent, Damarius Bilbo, later added more detail to his client’s illness in a statement to Josina Anderson of ESPN, which reads in part:
After that matchup, Ty discovered the presence of blood in his urine. The doctors informed me that this symptom could be connected to his kidney being impacted. While already traveling to Dallas, Texas to visit family, he went to a local hospital to be evaluated. Ty spent 16 hours under observation between late Friday night and Saturday. Although not proven, there could be a link between his physical activity in the contest against the Bears, the impact on his kidney, and his disorder.
Anderson and Ed Werder reported on Oct. 30 that Montgomery has a “kidney-related ailment” and is “doing better,” adding he did not play in Week 8 against the Falcons as a precaution.
It’s a frustrating turn of events for the second-year man, who saw his rookie season cut short by 10 games due to an ankle injury that required surgery.
The versatile receiver showed plenty of promise in his six games in 2015, recording 15 receptions for 136 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 31.1 yards per kick return.
Thanks to his speed and agility, Montgomery found his best success as a receiver in the slot.
However, Montgomery became a sensation at running back for the Packers in Week 7 against the Chicago Bears, filling in for the injured Eddie Lacy and James Starks. He accumulated 60 yards on nine carries while adding 10 receptions for 66 yards, so Packers fans were looking forward to seeing him build upon that momentum.
The Packers will have to turn to Don Jackson in their backfield until Montgomery can return to a full workload.
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LOS ANGELES — On Tuesday, former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant urged America’s young adults to get out and vote in next week’s national election.
“It’s extremely important,” Bryant said. “The discussion that [I] always have centers around, ‘How do you educate the youth about the issues so that they have a clear perspective of what they’re voting on?'”
“That’s how you influence change.”
Making an appearance at the Mamba Gallery, Bryant unveiled his first signature shoe since retiring from the NBA, the Nike “Kobe A.D.“
Bryant wouldn’t explicitly endorse a presidential candidate, although he gave some nebulous hints.
“I think we don’t have to all randomly guess what side of the fence that I’m on,” Bryant said. “For those that support the opposite of what you believe my point of view…and if you know me for many years, I think you know what candidate I’m supporting…then God bless you, that’s your point of view.”
Bryant has previously supported President Barack Obama, releasing the “Kobe X Elite ‘Commander’” last year, inspired by his relationship with the two-term president.
“Kobe has long looked up to the commander in chief, and not just because of his hoops game,” Nike explained in 2015 (via The Hill).
In December 2014, Bryant made a political statement in support of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by a New York police officer. He and his Lakers teammates wore black-and-white T-shirts that read “I Can’t Breathe” during pregame warm-ups.
“I think it would be a serious disservice to limit this to a race issue. It’s a justice issue,” Bryant told the Los Angeles Times in December 2014.
Several NBA stars have recently used their platforms to help influence voters.
Cleveland Cavaliers champion LeBron James gave his endorsement to Hillary Clinton in October.
Bryant said he supports efforts from current NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and James to be a voice for social justice.
“I think it’s great. What I’ve tried to do on the back end of that is try to help the youth understand what those issues are,” Bryant said. “It’s one thing to talk about it and say we need change…but what does that actually look like?”
Bryant stressed technology and education as the cornerstones.
“We have a democratic system. You can vote and choose what you want to support and what you don’t want to support, but having the knowledge of understanding what you’re voting for is the most important thing,” Bryant said. “The platforms that we have available in social media can make the process a very seamless one. But it’s about organizing that information in a way that’s easily digestible.”
In April, Bryant retired from the NBA after 20 years, playing his entire career with the Lakers.
Putting his energy into his many business ventures, Bryant said he doesn’t miss being on the court.
“It’s funny, not even a little bit,” he said.
Instead, he worked closely with Nike on the Kobe A.D., which will be available on Nov. 22.
“How can we be more efficient? How can a player make a turn without compromising stability or losing seconds on the turn? It’s all that little geeky stuff that we put in there,” Bryant said of his signature shoe.
Bryant hasn’t seen enough of the 2016-17 Lakers to form much of an opinion.
“I haven’t been there. I have no idea,” Bryant said. “I know [head coach] Luke [Walton] extremely well and I have an idea of how he’s going to manage the group from being around them.
“I think they’ll be fine, they’re young. I think they’re going to go through their ups and downs. They’ll have moments where they play extremely well and moments when they play horrendously poor. It’s just the process of it.
“It’s just learning as you go.”
All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.
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Kobe Bryant played the final game of his 20-year career on April 13, 2016 and has started a new chapter in his life. Nike has introduced the Nike Kobe A.D., his first shoe post-retirement. The debut colorway features a flashy iridescent heel plate with a hidden Zoom Air unit.
Kobe está muerto. @kobebryant #KobeAD #NikeBasketball http://pic.twitter.com/VQc8uUdVfO
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) November 1, 2016
The heel also features an additional DNA symbol to honor Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality” in all athletes around the globe. Kobe sheds light on his motivations since retiring from the NBA:
“Even though I am not on the court every day, there are people around the world who are helping to keep the ‘Mamba Mentality’ alive,” Bryant said, regarding his latest Nike Kobe AD model. “I have seen it in basketball, football and with everyday individuals who are working to be better and are committed to being great.”
Release Date: Monday, Nov. 21
Price: $160
All images courtesy of Nike.
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Bryce's Notebook 