Malia&Khari

Epilogue

5 years later

"Hello, I want to welcome you to the launch of Khari Valentine's first signature shoe. Usually we do our shoe launches at our NIKE World Headquarters in Oregon, but this athlete specifically requested his hometown. At NIKE, we are truly inspired by legends. Although Khari Valentine is a young star, he is a legend in the making. In three years, he's accomplished what most stars in the league accomplish in ten years. He was NBA Rookie of the Year, All-Star MVP, League MVP, 2x NBA Champion, and 2x Finals MVP. While he is the King of the Court, he has yet to make his name in the shoe world. Today, that changes. It has been such an unique experience to work with him on designing his first signature shoe. The Khari 1 is defined by extreme precision as well as explosive performance and it has everything Khari needs in a basketball shoe."

"In a word, it's the best. What do you expect from and for Khari Valentine? That speaks for itself. Ladies and gentlemen of New Orleans, get on your feet and make some noise for Khari Valentine!" I walked out to a screaming crowd with a huge smile on my face. The kids were going crazy and I never imagined that it would be because of me. I shook hands with the host before waving back to the crowd. I took my seat beside him and took it all in. Getting here wasn't easy. So much had changed in five years. I was blessed, to say the least. "First off, let me say congratulations to you."

"Thank you."

"This seems, to you, like more than an endorsement. What does this means to you in the grand scheme of your career?" He asked.

"Um, it's just another stepping stone that I'm truly proud of." I looked at him. "This company has been supportive of me through it all and I'm just so appreciative of it. To be apart of such an elite group of guys is a blessing. It means that I'm kind of doing something right."

"It is an amazingly exclusive club. You're only the 21st athlete to be a Nike Signature Athlete. That says a lot. Joining the Lebron's, Kobe's, KD's, Kyrie's, and so on. Did they give you any advice?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I think they've been good examples though. I've watched how those guys presented themselves in times like these. How they've built their brands and things like that. So, I'm just taking notes."

"You're probably the quickest guy in the league right now and you specifically designed the shoe to fit your game. What's special about this shoe? In your own opinion."

"Um, I think it's just the hyper fuse construction that goes in the shoe. It keeps me locked down. The NIKE zoom cushioning is soft and I was really adamant about that. I enjoy being comfortable in my shoe. I also like my shoes light so I think this is good for me. It'll feel like I'm playing on the clouds." I looked into the crowd. "But, the most important thing is the grip. I really can't wait for you guys to test it out."

He allowed the crowd to clap a little before he continued with the questions. "What about you? I know you can't wait to play in it." He chuckled.

I nodded, chuckling as well. "I really can't. I'm excited. It has finally arrived and I just cannot wait to wear them on the court. You look good, you play good. I love how the shoe looks so I know my game is gonna go to the next level."

"What's your favorite part of the shoe?" He asked.

I grabbed the shoe and turned it so the bottom was facing up. "The bottom. The hex technology. It adds flexibility to the shoe. It adds more explosiveness and it's durable. I think this is the first time NIKE has done this and I'm glad it's with my shoe." I laughed a little. "I just think that it's going to make me more explosive on the court and I think I'll be able to jump higher if that's possible." I smirked.