And 1 Streetball History
Founded in 1993, AND 1 makes basketball footwear and apparel. The company that first made its mark in the apparel industry with a line of “in your face” trash talk tee shirts now offers a complete product line for basketball players, including performance shoes, shorts, tees, sleeveless tees, pants, team uniforms, licensed collegiate gear and accessories. Brand revenues have grown from $1 million in 1993 to $175 million in 2003.
And1, the independent Paoli, Pa., sneaker company that made noise in the basketball world with aggressive marketing, was sold to another company in late May.
American Sporting Goods Inc., maker of Avia and Turntec brands, was the buyer. The Irvine, Calif., company had revenue of $220 milllion last year. AND1 had revenue of $175 million in 2003.
American Sporting Goods said AND1 will help it reach a young, male customer, as well as 130 international markets.
Terms of the deal were not released.
AND1 stated in an e-mail to Basketball News Services, that the upcoming 2005 Mix Tape Tour will not be effected in any way by the sale to American Sporting Goods Inc., and that transition plans have not be made regarding AND1′s future.
The 2005 AND1 Mixtape Tour get underway in June with the first stop in Oakland on June 10th. This year’s tour features stops in 30 cities in the US.
AND1 was founded in 1993 by Philadelphia natives Seth Berger and Jay Gilbert, who were then only 25 years old.
And 1 – Volume 1 Mixtape
AND1 VOL.1 MIXTAPE only on Streetball.
To compete with athletic shoe giants Nike, Adidas and Reebok, the company focused on basketball — in particular, the kind of in-your-face “streetball” played on city playgrounds.
And1 Streetball Logo
Its “Mixed Tape Tours,” which featured the nation’s best street-ball players, staged games throughout the country. The best action was then featured on DVDs marketed on their own or with the sale of shoes and apparel.
Last year, the company started a limited expansion into retail stores. Considering its 2010 – it shows you how far removed from the market they really are.
AND1 also sponsors NBA stars Stephon Marbury of the New York Knicks, Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons, Rafer Alston of the Toronto Raptors and Jason Williams of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Berger, current AND1 CEO, will remain with the company, reporting to American Sporting President and CEO Ken Wulff.
AND 1 footwear and apparel is sold in more than 60 countries around the world and worn by the New Zealand, Slovenian, Puerto Rican and Turkish national basketball teams in addition to two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury (New York Knicks), All-Star Ben Wallace (Detroit Pistons) and star of the AND 1 Mix Tape(R), Volume One, Rafer Alston (Miami Heat) as well as the just-signed Jason “White Chocolate” Williams (Memphis Grizzlies).
And1 Now
And1 recently released an ecommerce store to sell its apparel. It’s 2010 and they JUST launched an e-commerce store? It shows how far removed they are from their customers. And1 was a great company, but it lost its identity. Ever wonder how and why that happened? Let me know if you want to know the real history behind And1.
I just think ,they didn’t think at the main thing.
STREETBALL
That lame excuse that,NO MIXTAPES,cause the crisis.
C’mon,the players had to join another teams.
Ridiculous
I just think they wanted to take the company in another direction, they wanted to get away from made them in the first place that was streetball.
Yes,Benny they forgot the main thing STREEBALL
Streetball is not a game,is not a a brand ,is not a game,It’s a lifestyle.
The answer is within Juliana’s answer. Streetball is a lifestyle. Streetball is the reflection of an urban basketball culture that proceeded AND1 by 30 years. Unlike “Action Sports” the leaders that grew Action Sports to the global level it is today, the founders of AND1 were not and are not apart of the Streetball culture. They pimped streetball to make money and when AND1 and STREETBALL became synonymous, the owners dumped the company because the association with streetball was limiting its growth into a legitimate basketball company.
Streetball needs leaders within the culture to emerge, organize and grow the culture like the skaters and DMXers have done for their sports.
Truth be told the founders sold the company after the 2005 tour which was the biggest. The new owner was just interested in the apparel bc he needed mens apparel to go along with his womens apparel “Ryka Sports” So the players and the original staff didn’t kill it. They built the company and sold it and the new owners said to hell with it. Thats it thats all. Twitter @PrimeObjective
Since the AND1 brand is slowly stepping away from “In your Face” T-shirts and the StreetBall scene…this would be a good time to introduce the next concept in StreetBall swagg. Check out the StreetDunkah concept, which will mix Trash Talk T’s, a comic book saga and apparel inventions to take streetBall to a whole new level. StreetBallin will always be here so it needs representation and the StreetDunkah Concept is prepared to represent well.
See what had happen was…. Greed from the corp. Level basically disrespected streetball, its players and its fan. I know when I grew up with Main Event, he loved and till this day love streetball. Not every kid is going to the NBA, but you can get them interested in it by being involved in being active. I went to many Mix tour games in NJ and Tampa. It was something I looked forward to every tour. The DVDs were awesome to rewatch, have some friends over and throw it in, and be amazed by the talent. Once AND1 was dismantled, so was I from basketball.. it showed me how backwards a growing corp. Business could be as foulish and let go some great talent, and such a wonderful thing and throw it away.. I say thank you and mad props to all the streetball legends of AND1.. You will always have a fan.
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