On this episode, we discuss Untold episode on the rise and downfall of the niche streetball brand AND1. After a disastrous sponsorship of Stephan Marbury, which ended unceremoniously with a broken ankle due to the defective AND1 prototype shoes, the three Wharton grads behind this flash-in-the-pan, late-90s brand cleverly redefined their identity: Appropriating NYC street ball maestros to become AND1's ambassadors via viral VHS compilations.
In no time, the scrappy company and its ragtag group of Harlem Globertrotters/carnivalesque ballers would end up inspiring an ESPN-run reality show, a national grassroots sportswear movement, and an emergent style of acrobatic basketball. For any virtuosos who lacked the classical talent required by NBA metrics, AND1's tour and emphasis on showmanship offered another outlet - a space for athletics to overcome their shortcomings with flair, panache, and dexterity.
For your resident Underdogs, AND1's primetime years neatly paralleled our concurrent obsession with skater demos/videos. As a result, we spend amble time waxing nostalgic about how similar these scenes' sensibilities, branding/marketing strategies, and ethos were to one another.
Unfortunately, due to the pettiness of the money-holders, the ephemerality of subcultural trends, the rise of new technologies, and the shark-ish dominance of hegemonic corporations like Nike, AND1's heyday was short-lived. Nonetheless, the spirit that surrounded the brand lives on in the memories for all those who participated in it: for better and worse.
We had a blast reminiscing on this time capsule of an Untold episode. It may be far from the most riveting entries in the series, but it is easily one of the most wistful.
Enjoy!
