They call him “Sneaker Woj.”
Maybe nobody in sports media is as tied into the shoe business as ESPN's Nick DePaula, who breaks shoe news the way colleague Adrian Wojnarowski scoops draft picks and free-agent signings.
This week, DePaula was first with the news of Russell Westbrook's 10-year extension with Jordan Brand — the Nike offshoot and namesake of Hall of Famer Michael Jordan — that Westbrook has endorsed since 2013.
DePaula joined The Oklahoman's “Thunder Buddies” podcast to talk about the deal and Westbrook's place in the shoe hierarchy. The following are excerpts from that appearance, with some questions and answers edited for clarity and brevity.