Names & Faces: Marbury To Receive Coveted Sneaker Award

Bode Miller Celebrates Winning World Cup Downhill Event In Colorado

Footwear News has named Knicks G Stephon Marbury’s $15 Starbury One shoe the “Launch of the Year,” crediting Marbury with “bringing improved athletic shoes to poor kids who can’t afford the escalating prices of celebrity-endorsed sneakers.” Converse and Vans will also be honored at this week’s award ceremony as co-brands of the year. Converse this year hit record sales of $425M, helped in part by endorser Heat G Dwyane Wade (N.Y. POST, 12/4).

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’: Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has signed a deal with Roush Racing, dependent on Villeneuve securing $18M in sponsorships. Villeneuve will start the ’07 NASCAR season in the Craftsman Truck Series, with entries in the Busch Series later in the year. Villeneuve earned around $100M during his five years with British American Racing from ’99-’03 (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 12/2).

MILLER TIME AGAIN: While the USSA recently adopted a rule prohibiting team members from consuming alcohol “in the presence of the team’s staff,” World Cup of skiing organizers handed U.S. skier Bode Miller a bottle of champagne after he won the downhill event Friday in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Miller “sprayed photographers with the Champagne and raised the bottle to within a few inches of his lips before looking toward his coaches.” Miller then “rolled his eyes before taking a long sip and passing the bottle around” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/2).

MARK OF A MAN: Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban is appearing in a new Samsung ad campaign. A full-page ad for Samsung’s new BlackJack mobile phone appears in today’s USA Today featuring Cuban, and he will also appear in a TV ad debuting this week (THE DAILY).