“Crazy to think how much Virgil Abloh was doing all while battling cancer”: CJ McCollum and the NBA community pays its respects to the fashion mogul after the news of his passing

Fashion Extraordinaire and designer Virgil Abloh passes away aged 41

Brought into household conversations overnight in the year 2017, Virgil Abloh has been a mainstay in the fashion industry for years now. He was responsible for stirring up a stale and lax sneaker market. His first collaboration with Jordan Brand – the Off-White Chicago Jordan 1 became an instant classic – coveted by everyone.

When the news first broke out in the wee hours of the morning, not many people believed it to be true. After all, such shocking news takes time to grow on you. When the story started to gain momentum and official reports were out, people poured in their condolences and respects.

Young NBA players who looked to get into fashion were heavily inspired by the fashion revolutionary – copying a lot of his look books. From veterans like LeBron James to then rookies like Kyle Kuzma, everybody wanted a pair of his sneakers.

Also Read: Kevin Durant ogles at neat Ja Morant collection of KD 4 shoes, teases the release of new Protro line for his own sneakers

Here is what NBA Twitter had to say about the passing of Virgil Abloh:

A lot of young kids just getting into sneakers about 4-5 years ago have grown up idolizing his work – to say they were successful is an understatement. Each shoe Virgil came out with was a hit. They literally resold for prices of a used car, such was the demand for his product.

Also Read: “Adidas will look to re-release Kobe Bryant sneakers”: Lakers legend to have two of his iconic retros released following fallout with Nike

Virgil was a barrier breaker – for someone in such a niche market to become a household name is groundbreaking

In a market so utilitarian as shoes, any innovation is welcome. To completely break down what an idea of a shoe is, that requires genius. Starting off as a luxury brand in 2012, Virgil probably knew his time was limited way before all of the hype started. For someone who knew that, and yet gave it his all, that is admirable.