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This month, eBay, in partnership with the Strategist, went back to some of our favorite celebrity shoppers — including professional basketball player Julius Randle of the New York Knicks — to ask them about things that they can live without and would be willing to sell at auction for charity. All proceeds will go to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (eBay is receiving and donating all proceeds and matching every dollar the auction earns). Click here to see all the stuff you can bid on.
Throughout my entire career, I’ve always said that I would never wear the shoes of a player who I’m playing against. But I broke my rule for these Nike PG 3 shoes, which are Los Angeles Clippers player Paul George’s shoe. Paul and I met through our agents — we’re both signed with CAA — and became friends. We’re also both Nike athletes, so the brand hooked me up with his shoes. I tried them on for the first time at the Knicks practice facility and couldn’t believe how extremely comfortable they were.
Since I was 11 or 12 years old, I had been faithful to Nike’s Mamba shoe, the one for my former teammate and favorite player Kobe Bryant. But last year I had a couple of injuries — I rolled and sprained my ankle — and my trainer kept suggesting I try a different sneaker. At first I was like, “No way.” But my trainer kept pushing me, so I gave in and switched to the PG 3s. They come in some very cool colorways — the NBA allows players to express themselves with their shoes — and I gravitated toward the navy, pink, and gray ones.
I wore these PG 3s in a game for the first time this past February. It was an amazing game — I literally scored 35 points — and just felt super-fresh. They became a good-luck charm; I’m very superstitious, and if I have a bad game, I’ll retire whatever shoes I wore. But if I find some good mojo and get a good streak going, I’ll usually keep wearing those shoes.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
