Saturday Night Live featured a New Balance commercial (starring Zach Galifianakis) that should totally play to the blogger crowd, because it’s about how nobody who wears New Balance running shoes actually runs, and how they’re the worst of the aging white guys. Man, you nerds … I wear NIKE shoes when I’m just standing around. (via Hulu)

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The Unused Opening Title Credits For ‘Iron Man 3′ Are Incredible |UPROXX|

Ron Swanson’s 15 Most Enlightening GIFs From ‘Parks And Recreation’ Season 5 |Warming Glow|

Meet The Guy Who Built His Home To Look Like The Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise |Film Drunk|

Reminder: Baseball Has Flopping, Too |With Leather|

The Bionic Dog With Four Prosthetic Legs Returns To Hit Us In All The Feels |Gamma Squad|

Brooklyn Finally Renames A Park In Adam “MCA” Yauch’s Honor |Smoking Section|

It’s Feeding Time At The Cutler House |Kissing Suzy Kolber|

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Dwyane Wade hates America, that’s what I’m taking away from the news that he left Michael Jordan’s brand to become the new face of the Chinese company Li Ning. Named for China’s most famous gymnast, Li Ning is hardly a presence in the States, which is why the company and Wade are banking on this new partnership to bring China’s most popular brand to the forefront of the U.S. market. When I think about how this will affect the Chinese workers who make the shoes for American companies, it almost makes me sick that Wade would turn his back on us like this.

But that’s the chance he’s willing to take, as the first designs of Wade’s new shoes were released this week and people seem to be really excited about them. Still, why leave the guaranteed fame and fortune that comes with the Jordan brand to take such a huge risk at this point in his career? Wade finally broke his silence in an interview with the Associated Press.

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David Stern loves sending teams around the world for exhibition games, because it means more money for the league and owners. Sure, he’ll say it’s about expanding the league’s brand and creating a broader fan base with the hopes of one day establishing leagues and teams in other countries, but it’s about the money. It’s always about the money. And that’s fine, because money is good and capitalism is splendid as long as they’re prefaced with alley oops.

This week, the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers are the NBA’s goodwill ambassadors to the Far East, and players like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James couldn’t be more excited about showing off their recently released shoes that the Chinese fans will buy just as fast as the American fans did. Wait no, I mean they couldn’t be more excited about growing the NBA brand. Sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.

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In a new commercial that perfectly illustrates the value of wearing fuzzy pink boots made out of Muppet fur in public, UGG’s “Invisible Game” features New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady catching a pretend pass from a precocious child in an airport and engaging in a full-on tackle football in the concourse. Of course, the child prevails, catches a long bomb and pulls a Jerome Simpson in the endzone to (I guess) win the game. It’s cute, and because of it I’m suddenly okay wearing shoes that make me look like the Ultimate Warrior in front of strangers. UGG: the only shoe that describes itself.

Hopefully Funny Or Die has spent the last hour writing up a version of this with Brett Favre, or maybe one where Brady catches a pass from the kid’s mom and invisible fingerbangs her in the airport while everyone tries to get his autograph. That’s the only thing I can think of more unbearable than having kids pretend to throw footballs to you every time you’re trying to catch a plane for the rest of your life.

Yeah, I know those aren't LeBron 9's but I wear flip flops 24/7 so deal with it.

It was announced on Saturday that Miami Heat forward LeBron James was awarded MVP for the third time in his career, after leading his team to a 46-20 regular season record and the No. 2 seed in the East. James averaged 27.1 points per game this season, while his “Big 3” cohorts Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh averaged 22.1 and 18 ppg, respectively. Sure, it’s like saying that James was the fastest of the Ferraris, but it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t once again deserve the NBA’s ultimate individual honor.

For his hard work, James’ other “employer”, Nike, has also awarded him with this special new pair of LeBron 9’s that he wore yesterday in the Heat’s 95-86 victory over the Indiana Pacers…

Of the shoes, a Nike spokesperson said that they’re a reward for the company’s “Employee of the Year” – a shame, because I thought for sure that would go to LeBron’s douchebag yes-man and sideways peace sign giver, Jason Petrie. I’ll admit, though, it would be pretty cool to know that you’re the only person on Earth who has a specific pair of shoes that were designed solely for you because of an incredible accomplishment. You know, if that were true.

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Every few years, a TV network or a shoe company decides that sports guys should be super heroes. It happened with NFL Superpro, it happened with the Super Sluggers and now it’s happening to Kevin Durant. Or a Powerpuff Girl that sorta looks like Durant, I haven’t figured it out yet.

From the YouTube description:

The evil Dr. Deflation has escaped from Air Max security prison and is hellbent on stealing all of the world’s air. The Air Alliance made up of Charles Barkley, Ken Griffey Jr., Bo Jackson, Clay Matthews, Kevin Durant, Megan Rapinoe, and Allyson Felix, are on a mission to defeat him. Nike’s best Air products are available at Foot Locker including the Nike Air Max Griffey Fury, Nike Diamond Turf II, and the Nike Air Max NM.

If I’m making a Kevin Durant super hero named “Durantula” I’m gonna give him eight arms, or at least some sort of spider power more obvious than creating basketball Hadoukens.

Regardless, check out the preview video after the jump.

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