Who wears the shoes?

For And 1’s Asia-Pacific manager Justin Cupps, it’s how many players wearing the shoes that’s more important than who they are.

Cupps, who was in Manila last weekend, said in the National Basketball Association (NBA), about 80 players–including half of the Detroit Pistons roster–trot in And 1s. Sure, And 1 has its own stable of endorsers like the traditional biggies Nike, Reebok and Adidas but Cupps explained the brand’s not into recruiting pitchmen in a big way. Instead of depositing oodles of dough in the bulging bank accounts of billionaire players, And 1 prefers to be more creative in promoting its products.

Besides, Cupps admitted And 1 is not in a position to face the giants head-on in signing up marquee players like LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett and Michael Jordan. There is little brand loyalty among NBA superstars who shift from brand to brand depending on how much is put on the table. Garnett is the perfect example of an athletic butterfly, moving from Nike to And 1 to Adidas. Bryant went from Adidas to Nike.

And 1’s chief NBA endorsers today are Stephon Marbury, Ben Wallace and Jason Williams. Beyond the names, Cupps said what’s exciting is more and more NBA players are wearing the shoes to the extent that this season, And 1 now ranks second only to Nike in terms of actual usage.

Because of its avant-garde approach, And 1 has been able to penetrate the youth market in advertising messages using street language that’s personal, direct and in-your-face. Slogans such as "get yours" and "i-ball" reach out to "new generation" hip-hop kids who identify with that kind of talk. Cupps said it’s all about resonating.

And 1’s merchandise is a reflection of that revolutionary approach. It was the first to bring out "trash-talking" T-shirts, sleeveless basketball tees, game mesh shorts, knee-length shorts with drooping inseams and post-game slip-ons in the market.

The idea of filming playground legends do their thing in a series of "Mixed Tape" movies to promote And 1 wasn’t conceptualized by accident. Today, the No. 1 best-selling sports video is volume 7 of the "Mixed Tape" series.

And 1 has, in fact, assembled a gang of about 20 ballers touring the world to showcase their freestyle act. One of And 1’s star players Rafer Alston–known as "Skip To My Lou"–has brought his game to the NBA. Other ballers answer only to their street monikers–"The Professor" and "Black Widow" among others.

Cupps said the And 1 "Mixed Tape"ballers–whom he calls the 21st Century Harlem Globetrotters–recently regaled huge crowds in Australia. They did their usual magical routine–whipping wraparound passes, bouncing the ball on an opponent’s head, and dunking like flying trapeze acrobats–and played three-on-three matches, too. He’s thinking of bringing a squad of 12 to play an exhibition series here, perhaps to coincide with the opening of the new Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season in October.

Cupps said the Philippines is a priority market in And 1’s global mapping because in terms of basketball-playing population to total universe, it ranks among the world’s largest. Since And 1 tapped Relzbach Ventures as its Philippine distributor three years ago, the brand has resonated loudly throughout the archipelago–so much so that Relzbach was recently awarded franchises to market the brand exclusively in seven other countries.

Cupps, 30, said he hopes to be back here in April for a big And 1 event that Relzbach is planning. He’s based in And 1’s head office in Pennsylvania. It’s possible that in the near future, Cupps may be relocated to work out of Hong Kong as the Asia-Pacific business grows.

Cupps played hoops in junior college and considered trying out for a point guard spot in the University of Pennsylvania varsity before deciding to concentrate on his studies. He worked briefly in the NBA office in New York and for an athletic sports agency–one of whose clients was New Orleans Hornets guard Darrel Armstrong–then joined And 1 seven years ago as its 25th employee.

Last Friday, Cupps was introduced by Relzbach’s top honcho Bob Bachmann to PBA commissioner Noli Eala, lawyer Joey Bautista and Philippine Basketball League commissioner Chino Trinidad at an informal lunch get-together in Makati. Bachmann was joined by his brother and Alaska assistant coach Dickie and Dickie’s wife Tet.

They talked hoops for hours and explored possibilities of tying up in the future. Cupps delivered a clear message that And 1 is in the Philippine market to stay as a strong player.