The Jordan Brand Classic is more than just a set of basketball games. The event provides a complete experience for the young athletes participating, and for the folks who make it out to the day. The former group enjoyed plenty of Jordan Brand activities leading up to Saturday, including a private event with Spike Lee, a trip out to Melo’s native Redhook, and some training time with Team Jordan boxer Andre Ward. The latter group, those who populated the Barclay’s Center for Saturday’s trio of games, saw the in-game action boosted by the presence of celebs and athletes like Fabolous, C.C. Sabathia, Amare Stoudemire, Victor Cruz, and more. Oh, and did we mention that Drake ending the evening with a performance wherein he brought the All-Americans on stage to celebrate? Catch all this and more after the jump in our 2013 Jordan Brand Classic event recap, and check back for more coverage throughout the day.

Is this the first on-feet sighting of the 2013 retro of the Air Jordan VIII “Playoffs”? We know that Fabolous is a friend of the Jordan Brand, so it’s pretty possible that he’s already got his hands on the upcoming Air Jordan VIII colorway. Either than or he just wanted to bust out an old pair to show folks that he’s been doing this Air Jordan thing for a while now. Tell us if you approve of Fabolous in the Air Jordan VIII “Playoffs” in the comments and stay tuned for more previews of the 2013 pair.

The Jordan Melo M9 has been on retail shelves for a little bit now, but the sneaker hit NYC in full force last night at Cipriani Club 55 just off Wall Street. The space played host to 1,500 local kids who were able to trial the latest Carmelo Anthony signature shoe, check out the ‘Playing for the City That Made Me’ documentary series, and watch a Q&A session between Melo and Bernard King hosted by Sway and a subsequent concert from local spitters French Montana and Fabolous. Continue reading to get our photos from the ‘Lock and Launch’ recap and stay tuned for more coverage regarding upcoming Jordan Melo M9 colorways that were on display.

While everyone in the fashion/sneaker industry seems to be out in Las Vegas for the Project tradeshow, Fabolous manages to keep things in an LV state of mind without really being there. That stems from his sneaker selection at the recent Trey Songz album release party, wherein Fab laced up in the Vegas themed Air Jordan 1 from this summer’s extended RTTG pack. Click through to check out Loso’s black and white fit and let us know if you think the Air Jordan 1 RTTG ‘Las Vegas’ was one of the more underrated pairs in recent months.

Fabolous is always one of the top contenders when it comes to rappers heavy in the sneaker game, with both his shoes and his lyrics reflecting a love for sports footwear in its various forms. As with most of us, the Air Jordan line in particular plays a special part, being that starting point that first sparked the obsession. In a talk with Russ Bengston of Complex Fabolous recently broke down his top ten Air Jordans of all time, speaking a little towards why each one made the list. Click through to check out Fab’s faves and let us know what you think of his ranking.

With the launch of the Air Jordan XII ‘Playoffs’ on its way for the weekend we’ve seen some celebs rocking them a little early just to show off. Fabolous decided to one-up the crowd though by skipping them and going straight to a retro further down the line with the Air Jordan XII ‘Obsidian’. Let us know if you like Fab’s fit and stay tuned to see which Air Jordans he pops up in next.

Plenty of Big Apple based sneakerheads seemed to be in denial when it was revealed that this blue and orange Air Jordan IV colorway was actually a Cleveland Cavaliers tribute rather than a Knickerbocker one. Seems like rapper Fabolous just might be in a similar state, shown above pairing them with a Knicks letterman jacket. Click through for the full shot and stick with us for a release date on the Air Jordan IV ‘Cavs’.

What better place to hold your birthday party than the Liv Fontainebleau, one of the most exclusive nightclubs in the world. That’s exactly what songwriter/producer Stevie J did and some of the industry’s most well known names were in attendance. Among those at Liv were Fabolous, Lil Wayne and Trey Songz and all rocked the Air Jordan IV ‘Military’, Air Jordan XII ‘Playoff’ and Jordan Spiz’ike ‘Bordeaux’ respectively. Click through the gallery to see the trio wearing their Jordans in the gallery after the jump and let us know what you think. via WorldRedeye.

If you follow Fabolous on Twitter, you would know that he has an affinity for sneakers. He’s even gone as far as hosting a “Bottles and Js” themed barbecue this past summer. Fab is at it again, this time with the Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’. While in Tanzania for the Str8 Muzik Festival, he wore the upcoming XI release while performing. While most of us have to worry about how we’re going to get a pair next week, he doesn’t. Click through the gallery below to see more of Fabolous wearing the Air Jordan XI ‘Concord’ and let us know what you think. via myfabolouslife.

When Fabolous isn’t performing or in the studio, the Brooklyn rapper is giving back to the community. The Fabolous Way Foundation began the 3 Kings Coat Drive in an attempt to give the underprivileged a good Winter coat for the upcoming season. While making rounds at Dr. Jay’s, a donation location, to increase awareness about the 3 Kings Coat Drive, Fab wore a pair of the Jordan Spiz’ike ‘Knicks’. Check out Fabolous wearing the Jordan Spiz’ike ‘Knicks’ after the jump and let us know what you think.