Nostalgia was in the air Wednesday night in Atlanta as the Braves honored hometown hero Ludacris. The aptly named Ludacris Night was filled with events throughout the city, but it was a moment prior to the Braves match-up against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park that stole the show.
In a moment longtime fans of the Grammy Award-winning rapper will surely recognize, Ludacris took to the mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch in a caricatured look.
Combining different elements of various music videos, the artist wore the ludicrously oversized arms from his 2004 “Get Back” style to launch the pitch — which was pulled off surprisingly smoothly considering the arm attachments. On foot, Ludacris referenced another video, 2003’s “Stand Up,” where the Atlanta artist stomps in a comically oversized pair of white-on-white Nike Air Force 1 Lows.
The massive Nike Air Force 1s are a staple for Ludacris, who not only wore them in the 2000s, but has been known to perform in the sneakers at concerts.
As for the origin of the shoes, it’s not immediately clear if they are a custom creation or an official Nike product. Close-up shots of Wednesday night’s sneakers reveal details that match the real deal, such as silver dubraes and the same mesh lining found on standard versions.
Online, Nike sells up to a size 18 in the iconic sneakers, so it’s possible that the rapper simply ordered the biggest size he could — or perhaps called in a favor from friends at the brand.
Ludacris had gone viral for other reasons in August, after sharing a clip on Instagram of himself drinking water from a glacier in Alaska. The internet responded with countless memes, which have carried over into Ludacris Night’s gargantuan getup.
“That glacier water got Ludacris looking like the Thing and the Hulk,” read one joke reshared on the rapper’s Instagram story.
The voluminous Nike Air Force 1s aren’t Ludacris’ only connection to extra-large sneakers. In 2014, he shared on Instagram a pair of autographed Shaquille O’Neal Shaq sneakers in a size 24.
Readers can watch the ceremonial first pitch from Ludacris Night below.
