Industry-Changing Moisture Control Patent Awarded to POINT 3 Basketball

All of us at POINT 3 Basketball are super excited to announce that the company has been granted U.S. Patent 8,769,716 on its invention of DRYV® Moisture Control Technology. DRYV is designed to provide an absorbent layer in moisture wicking performance garments, allowing wearers to keep their hands, face and other extremities dry while on the field of play.

“This patent is a game changer for POINT 3 and the athletic apparel industry as a whole,” said Michael Luscher, the founder and CEO of POINT 3 Basketball. “DRYV Moisture Control Technology has been embraced by every basketball player we’ve encountered, validating our belief that performance apparel still has plenty of room to evolve.”

DRYV Moisture Control Technology has thus far been incorporated exclusively into POINT 3 Basketball garments, and marketed under the slogan “SHORTS + TOWEL = GENIUS.” DRYV is currently featured in shorts, tops and accessories sold by POINT 3, with additional executions planned for release as early as winter 2014. It is the first patent granted to POINT 3 Basketball, with additional patents pending.

The ‘716 patent was put through an exhaustive examination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office lasting more than three years, where numerous prior patents were reviewed to determine that the invention of DRYV Moisture Control Technology was a unique advancement over all prior submissions.

“Since launching the concept of DRYV Moisture Control in 2009, the most common question we’ve received is: How has no one thought of that yet?” added Luscher. “We know there are infringing products in the marketplace. With the issuance of this patent, we are thrilled to now be the only legally authorized company able to bring this innovation to the basketball players that we are dedicated to serving, as well as a broader array of athletes whose performance is inhibited by sweat.”

Most Impactful Advice from the Atlanta Hawks / POINT 3 Coaches Clinic

On Saturday, August 16, POINT 3 had the honor of hosting a Coaches Clinic in cooperation with the Atlanta Hawks and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA).

More than 100 high school and youth basketball coaches took the floor at Philips Arena to learn about player development and prepare for the upcoming season by listening to and watching drills lead by former James Madison head coach Dean Keener, POINT 3 Alpha and skills development trainer Mark Adams, former NC State Athletic Director Les Robinson, former Duke University and Atlanta Hawks player Roshown McLeod, and legendary Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins.

Some of the day's speakers, including (from L to R): Mark Adams, Bobby Cremins, Les Robinson, Dean Keener, and POINT 3 CEO Michael Luscher

We had planned to hold an hour of open gym at the end of the day, but our speakers and the audience were so engaged that we ran out of time!

Here are just a few of the impactful statements made by the event’s great speakers:

“Where we often fail as coaches is communication amongst one another. Once your player is moving on to college or the pros, get in touch with his new coach and communicate on behalf of the player. Let him know, this is what motivates him, this is what he responds well to, this is what he’s gotten better at etc.” - Dean Keener

“Always bring your juice! Your juice is your passion, energy, and enthusiasm. Bring that with you to every workout and you’ll see the benefits.” - Mark Adams

“As parents and coaches, we often push our kids higher and faster than they’re able to develop. We always think that playing up in age results in making you a better player, but that’s not always the case.” - Former Duke University and Atlanta Hawks player Roshown McLeod

We’re sure that every coach in attendance walked out inspired and ready to go for the upcoming season!

We want to send a special POINT 3 THANK YOU to all of our speakers, Jon Babul and the rest of the Atlanta Hawks staff, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, The Skill Factory, and everyone that helped make this event a success!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more valuable insight from the Coaches Clinic and from around the game of basketball!

#UpForWhatever...On the Court

Shortly after the release of Bud Light's #UpForWhatever Super Bowl commercial (now airing during most March Madness broadcasts) we saw an order come through from a familiar name....Ian Rappaport. We knew it, we just didn't know from where.

Turns out, Ian is the star of the Bud Light #UpForWhatever commercial, and he had heard about POINT 3 through his weekly run. So after sending out his order, we asked Ian to send us some pics of him in our gear. Looks like he's even got a little jumper!

Talk about making the most of your 15 minutes of fame! Now Ian's #UpForWhatever On the Court.

Drop Ship...Drop Step. We Got All the Moves.

You asked. We listened. With the recent success of our 2014 Team Catalog launch, POINT 3 is now available for discounted bulk orders, choice wholesale distribution and e-commerce drop ship!

For e-commerce retailers interested in drop ship or any of the channels outlined above: We are always open to working with qualified retail partners who have an engaged basketball audience. Please email sales@point3basketball.com for more information and requirements regarding our drop ship program.

For big men working on their drop step in the post: Remember to to take a big first step and get low on your spin. Here's a perfect example:

NOW AVAILABLE: Team Uniforms from POINT 3

Every year we visit AAU, HS and College tournaments and get one question above all else...what about uniforms? Well, you asked and we delivered! After many sleepless nights thinking about how to make a better basketball uniform, we are proud, excited and mostly...ready to ball in our newest release - the 2014 POINT 3 Team Uniform Catalog.

Got a team you're looking to hook up in The World's Best Basketball Gear? Submit an inquiry HERE and Jay, Justin or one of the guys on our Team Uniform squad will hit you back with all the necessary details.

Until then, see you on the court...

NBA Player Endorsement Model is Broken

Why does an NBA player wear a certain type of shoe?? Is it the design...comfort...support...features...colorways? NOPE.

Getting their own "PE"? (Player Exclusive line) Being featured in an ad campaign? Maybe.

But here's what it really boils down to: $$$. They go to the highest bidder.

So, we ask - is this really an ENDORSEMENT? Are these NBA players actually "endorsing" these sneakers and brands they represent?

Nike built this business model in the 1980s on MJ's back to the point of a near monopoly - they manufacture 9 out of every 10 kicks worn on a basketball court today. So, they can afford to pay annual endorsement contracts in excess of $20 million to the few ballplayers whose likenesses actually help sell shoes (namely, Lebron, Kobe and KD). But recently, that dominance has begun to work against them. With so many athletes under contract but only a few they can feature, there's been a rash of high profile players jumping ship to the highest bidder:

Rajon Rondo joined his former teammate Kevin Garnett on the roster of Anta athletes. Never heard of 'em? Not surprising...the Chinese footwear company doesn't offer their product for sale in the US.

Just this week, Under Armour announced their biggest basketball signing to date, inking Steph Curry to a multiyear contract in an effort to boost their 0.35% market share in the basketball footwear space.

DWade left Brand Jordan last year to build out his own brand with the Chinese giant Li-Ning. He is rumored to have received equity in the $1 billion company on top of them matching the $10 million/yr he was receiving under his previous deal.

Now the big question is whether Rondo, Curry or Wade's switch will ever get you to rock a pair of Anta, UAs or Li-Nings. Are these athletes "endorsing" these shoes because they believe in them...or the mighty Benjamins?? Just check their feet when the paparazzi catch them coming out of the club in their J's...

Alpha Breaks Guinness World Record

How many NBA 3-pointers can you hit in 1 minute?

Coach Gerrod Trytten (@OHoopsCoachG), one of our Alphas from OHoops Training out of Orlando, FL, dropped 27 last week, setting a new Guinness World Record! The previous RECORD was 25, set in 2007 by Daniel Loriaux of Tigard, OR.

Check out the record-setting shooting here and drop us a comment on whether you think you can beat Coach G's record...

Gear 101: How POINT 3 Is Made

Not unlike a consistent jumper or crazy handles, making The World's Best Basketball gear is a process that takes time, practice, attention to detail and above all else, a whole lotta hard work! To help you understand what goes into making a POINT 3 garment, here's the first installment of Gear 101: How POINT 3 Is Made...

Step 1 - INSPIRATION

No journey is complete without a goal. To design The World's Best Basketball garments, we need inspiration - which always starts with the ballplayer...out on the court, working hard and expecting their gear to work even harder. But beyond that, we try to pair our guarantee of functional performance with unique design elements to offer our customers the most technologically advanced basketball apparel available.

Step 2 - DESIGN

Once inspiration hits, we move to design or in technical terms - "line drawings". This is how we turn inspiration into a two-dimensional garment. This is the fun part...

Step 3 - FABRIC SELECTION

And onto the 3rd dimension. Fabric selection is without a doubt, where we spend the most time and attention during the design and manufacturing process. POINT 3 is Made for Basketball - that means you need our garments to hold up to the tears, blood and above all else, sweat that it takes to get your game right. It's the fabric that does the work here so we mix, match, test and re-test to ensure that every fiber used in our gear serves a specific purpose and performs on the court.

Step 4 - TECH PACK

And this is where play turns to work. The tech pack is the garment's blueprint, outlining everything from the specific measurement points to fabric colorways and drawstring length. This is the set of plans that our factory uses to manufacture each garment and ensure it meets our quality standards. It's thick, detailed and complicated - but that's why we're The World's Best...

OK, that's today's lesson. Stay tuned for our next POINT 3 Behind the Brand where we'll move to Gear 201 - cutting, sewing, checking for quality, then checking again. And once you get that right, we'll accept your application as our design intern...

Why You Shouldn't Play In Cotton - Welcome to Video Newsletter Vol. 1

Hey guys - here's a quick welcome to POINT 3's 1st Behind the Brand newsletter, from my out-of-breath ass after Jay took me down 7-6 on the home court. Check out the video below to see why NO ONE should ever play ball in cotton. Enjoy and remember, #WORKHARDER. See you on the court...

Mike Luscher - Founder and CSO*, POINT 3 Basketball

*Chief Sweat Officer

THE GREATEST INNOVATIONS IN BASKETBALL GEAR HISTORY

TOP 5 GEAR INNOVATIONS IN BASKETBALL HISTORY

The beauty of basketball is its simplicity: Ball, Basket, Player – that’s really all you need. But since Dr. Naismith birthed this thing in 1891, there have been a few innovations that have revolutionized the sport. And since this is what we spend most of our time doing at POINT 3 - thinking about innovations for the ballplayer - we wanted to pay homage to the all-timers. So, here are our top 5 basketball gear innovations that have helped shape the game we know and love.

1. Bouncing Basketballs

In Dr. Naismith’s original 13 rules, there was no mention of dribbling or bouncing the ball, just that a player couldn’t travel (aka run with the ball). This was in part because they used a soccer ball, which at the time was made from skin or leather, wrapped around an inflated animal bladder – nasty for sure but more to the point, not guaranteed to stay round and bounce evenly. It wasn’t until 3 years later in 1894 when Naismith’s boy, A.G. Spalding produced the first basketball specifically designed to stay round and bounce evenly. Amazingly, it still took until 1916 for the rules to be amended allowing players to shoot after dribbling. But the real hero here is the Industrial Revolution, which in 1942 led to the development of the molded basketball with a rubber bladder, which allowed for handles like this from PONT 3 Alpha Ryan Goodson:

2. Chuck Taylor All-Stars

The #1 selling shoe of all-time, Chucks were originally designed as a basketball sneaker and is what more than 90% of all ballers rocked on the court in the 1960s. The Converse All-Star dropped in 1917, one of the first shoes with rubber soles and an extra tall canvas “upper”, aka the hi-top. In 1921, Chuck Taylor joined the Converse All-Stars company hoops squad and sold kicks at basketball clinics all over the country. More salesman than baller (although he clearly had some game) his big innovation was to add a patch to protect the ankle, which convinced the higher-ups at Converse to give Chuck his own P.E. In the 30s, they added his signature and the rest is basketball innovation history.

3. "Short" Shorts

Nope, not giving John Stockton credit on this one. We date the innovation of “short” basketball shorts back to the 1920s, when ballers wore gear like this on the court:

Everything was made out of wool so you can imagine what the locker rooms smelled like. But as the sport grew in popularity, players wanted freedom of movement on the court, which led to the use of stretchable wool, sleeveless jerseys and those nut-huggers that amazingly, remained in-style for more than 70 years (80 if you count Stockton).

4. Backboards

Much to our surprise, Tim Duncan did not invent the backboard. This innovation was born sometime between 1893-96 but it wasn’t to help those early-gen bricklayers – they were actually to prevent fans from touching the balls while in play. By the early 1900s, players started using the backboard to bank in those wack-looking set shots and in 1919, Indiana University had a local glass company create 1.5” thick glass boards so fans in their new gym could see all the action. Innovation for player AND fan…

5. Compression's Grandad: The Jockstrap

We know, the mere mention of jockstraps makes you think of that old guy in the gym who still uses the hook shot as his go-to move. But on the serious tip, what’s more important than keeping all your parts in the right place on the court?? Before there was padded compression, bike shorts or sports bras, there was the jockstrap. Invented in 1874 to help “support” bike jockeys (aka deliverymen) while on the job, the Bike Company (still around, btw) popularized the garment for all forms of athletic activity.

So, what do you think?? Hit us up on any we missed, or just to share your favorite basketball gear innovation…