Excuse my callowness, but I figured Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington couldn’t be serious when news emerged that they had collaborated on an independent sneaker line. My exposure to both was limited to Golden State’s fantastic late season run in the 2007 NBA Playoffs. Both Jackson and Al were integral parts to perhaps the biggest cast of misfits and malcontents ever assembled on an NBA court; led by B Diddy at the point, Stack Jack cursed at refs, “Made love to pressure”, launched threes from insensible lengths. Harrington also shot threes—a lot of them. Both ballplayers are deft businessmen, and efforts to build the Protégé brand shouldn’t be taken lightly. They contacted and contracted veteran designer Dallas Stokes (think AND1 Tai Chi and To’Chillin) to handle aesthetic advancement. Both have a sensitive side, too, and their monumental donation with K-Mart to Samaritan’s Feet was more than admirable.

Protégé is an acronym for “People Reaching out to Everyone Gaining Everything.” The brand began making news last summer, but didn’t make the jump until NBA All-Star Weekend 2009 when a commercial hit nationwide and Al & Co. sponsored a jamboree that focused on empowering kids through basketball skills. Soon after, the troupe debuted their product at K-Marts nationwide to the tune of $34.95 and under.

Stack Jack and Harrington’s signature models provide focus for Protégé lineup, but there’s variation available if you’re anti-sig or prefer to do damage off the asphalt or outside the gym. The brand receives serious credibility from yours truly for constantly updating their website with tech specs, interviews, and noteworthy happenings. Spend a few minutes visiting their official website (linked below) but first check out the inspiration behind the Stephen’s StackJack 1 and Al’s A3H! All kicks pictured below are available in Men’s size 7-16 at K-Mart!

Protege Stackjack:

Protege A3H:

Other models available:
Protege Aspire

Protege Tripples:

Protege Powerstrap:

Protege Coolout:

Necessary Linkage:

Where to Cop: K-Mart

Official Website: ProtegeMVP.com

Protege’s Myspace: Here

NikeTalk: Here