adidas honoring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with new sneaker collection

Several days after LeBron James made NBA history by breakingKareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, adidas announcedthat they will be honoring Abdul-Jabbar with a limited-edition“Evolution of Excellence” collection of adidas Forum sneakers.

The collection features three unique designs that eachcommemorate significant aspects of Abdul-Jabbar’s life and career.Launching on February 28, only 33 pairs have been produced in eachdesign — 33 being Abdul-Jabbar’s iconic jersey number.

“The Evolution of Excellence embodies the symbolic passing ofthe torch to the next generation," Abdul-Jabbar said. "Whetherthat’s in the game, through the continued fight for social justice,or building a legacy through leading by example — I’m still pushingmyself to excel today and I hope this collection inspires my fansto do the same.”

Here are the details of all three unique designs, courtesy ofadidas' press release:

The first of the three uniquedesigns is the adidas Forum Alpha, adorned in blue-and-gold, isinspired by Abdul-Jabbar’s remarkable 88-2 college career, whichincluded three consecutive championships. It will only be availableto the first 33 people who become VIP members of Club Skyhook, a loyalty club formed by Abdul-Jabbarhimself to stay connected to his fans globally. Club members willbe the first to know of collaboration projects, capsule collectionsand memorabilia available from Kareem. Club Skyhook membership willunlock opportunities for products and experiences availableexclusively to members of Club Skyhook.

The adidas Forum Accolades, adornedin purple-and-gold, represent the era in Los Angeles whenbasketball took the city by storm and Abdul-Jabbar was at thecenter of it all, literally. The shoes will also feature specialinsignias that highlight major milestones and other notable momentsof Abdul-Jabbar’s professional career. A limited quantity of 33pairs will be available for purchase at a soon-to-be-announced LosAngeles retailer.

The adidas Forum Legacy, anall-black and copper colorway, pays respect to Abdul-Jabbar’s lifecommitment to the fight for racial equality and social justice. Thepublic can get a pair by signing up for an exclusive freesweepstakes for adiClub members where one winner will be drawn onFebruary 28 at 12:01am. adiClub is a loyalty program where members can earnpoints to level up and unlock exclusive rewards, special offers,events and more. It's free to sign up and available only in theadidas app.

The entire “Evolution of Excellence” collection, in size 16,will be signed by Abdul-Jabbar himself and on display at Crypto.comArena for every home game throughout the month of February and thenraffled off for charity.

During the Lakers-Thunder game on Tuesday when James broke hisrecord, Abdul-Jabbar was sitting courtside wearing adidas ForumLegacy sneakers as well as a Jeff Hamilton-designed wool andleather jacket with "Evolution of Excellence" on the back.

Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest players in NBA history,winning six championships, six Most Valuable Player awards and twoNBA Finals MVPs.

In addition to dominating throughout his stints with theMilwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, the 19-time NBA All-Star isalso known as an activist and a best-selling writer. In 2016, hewas awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.