Converse, who is now an official subsidiary of Nike, has always been an iconic staple shoe of NBA basketball. In fact, the league's silhouette logo featuring Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West had him wearing a pair of Chuck Taylors at the time the imprinted picture was taken.

You may have glanced at a photo of Julius Erving dunking from the foul line or throwing down a thunderous jam over an opponent's head, not realizing it was the same brand of shoes that was once admired from afar.

In 1949, almost every player in the NBA wore Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers. During the 1975 season, Converse signed pioneer and legendary dunker, Julius “Dr. J” Erving to a contract to represent the brand, where he cemented it into basketball history with his style and swagger wearing the classic Pro Leather edition.

There were signature brand shoes before today's popular names came along, and Erving was an admirer of the Converse brand long before anyone even knew who Michael Jordan was.

Erving told Nike he had always loved Converse, and like many others, he enjoyed watching his favorite players wear them.

“I know in my first look at basketball on TV, I saw my favorite players wearing Chuck Taylors. That was the shoe to get. When you see people who you admire, people who you idolize, you look at them from head to toe…what they have on their feet is big.”

On September 29, 2017, Converse will launch the NBA Chuck Taylor All Star Collection, giving fans more ways to show their NBA pride and celebrate their favorite teams.

Representing all 30 NBA teams, the collection pays tribute to the game and celebrates the culture of basketball and its influence on today’s street style with three design tiers: Gameday, Legend, and Franchise.

The Chuck ’70 NBA Gameday includes 250 individually-numbered limited-edition pairs for each NBA team.

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The Chuck ’70 NBA Legend is a luxe model that celebrates basketball culture for the sophisticated fan. The shoes highlight the winning legacies of five franchises: the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks.

The Chuck SE NBA Franchise represents 13 NBA teams, with their representative logos embroidered on the tongue and team name and details screen-printed on the mesh upper.