Jazz G Alec Burks is "fairly quiet," but for last week's season opener against the Kings, he played in his "hot pink Adidas Dame 4 sneakers in honor of his fiancée" for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, according to Eric Woodyard of the DESERET NEWS. Burks said, "She’s battling with it and she’s going to get through it." Burks said that he will "break out a bunch of other exclusive colorways this season" from Adidas. Now that the NBA has lifted all color restrictions on sneakers, Burks said he has "some heat stashed away in the closet." Burks: "I like that you can wear anything. I like it a lot" ( DESERET NEWS, 10/22 ). ESPN.com's Nick DePaula wrote in the first week alone, the NBA shoes are "looking more colorful than at any time in the league's 73-season history, thanks to new anything-goes color rules." Players "took full advantage of the newfound freedom and broke out confidently clashing pairs from the jump" ( ESPN.com, 10/21 ).
BOLD & BEAUTIFUL : NBCSPORTS.com's Dane Delgado noted Thunder G Russell Westbrook on Saturday paid tribute to late broadcaster Craig Sager with a "pair of custom Air Jordan 1s inspired by Sager’s famous sideline attire." Sager was known for "wearing crazy patterns, everything from hounds tooth to polka dots to tartan." Delgado: "Westbrook’s shoes paid fitting homage to Sager’s sartorial flair" ( NBCSPORTS.com, 10/21 ).
