The first time I met Jordan Taylor I had no idea who he was. We were having beers with a mutual friend and he would laugh at stupid jokes, and make some of his own. He never really felt afraid to mix in his truths or thoughts in with the jokes. He felt like a solid person. Like if you were his friend, you could count on him. Like he wouldn’t make you feel bad for doing so. That’s a lot of pressure to live up to.

Then, after the batteries in the mics and the cameras had all died, I turned to him and asked him one last question about him getting his own shoe. He was humble in his response. But I couldn’t shake it. I said “Dude, you’re like a fucking NBA player.” He laughed and after a pause he said, “Kyrie Irving, homie”, and burst into laughter. It pretty much summed up JT. He doesn’t take this shit to serious, but he has gratitude for it. That is a solid foundation. Jordan skates with that same foundation and with style and power. It was a pleasure to roll around with him for a day. —Jeff Alper

New Jordan Taylor New Balance Video:

Jordan Taylor’s “gordo 2k” Part: