Slang terms and their meanings is an elusive subject, especially in the hip-hop world, where the normal rules of linguistic logic don't apply. Case in point: even though the word "Sprewells" in the above verse refers to spinner rims ("Sprewells is a generic term for any rim that has a part that continues spinning even after the tire stops moving," according to UrbanDictionary.com), NBA star Latrell Sprewell certainly didn't invent the spinner rim, nor does he manufacture spinners or even license his name to another manufacturer. But Sprewell, a car freak of legendary proportions, was one of the first guys in the nation to roll on spinners, and his aftermarket performance shop, Sprewell Motorsports, located in San Gabriel, California (www.sprewellmotorsports.com), was one of the first retail outlets to sell spinner rims. These associations were enough, then, for hip-hop rhyme slingers to co-opt his name as an interchangeable term for spinner rims.
This says a lot about the nature of celebrity that Sprewell, a three-time NBA All-Star guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be remembered by a certain portion of our population not for his amazing athletic feats but, rather, for his choice of rims. It also says a lot about the power of celebrity in the red-hot custom car market and a star's power to influence aftermarket styles and trends-something that Latrell Sprewell has been at the forefront of since 1998, when he founded Sprewell Motorsports. Sprewell opened shop with his brothers, who run the day-to-day business while Sprewell is busy shooting hoops.
When Sprewell and his siblings first founded their shop, the hip-hop-influenced car culture was on the come up; now, eight years later, after the advent of the compact Hummer H3, when 20-inch wheels are available on many cars as a factory option and rental car commercials feature senior citizens bumpin' out to DMX tunes, the cost of entry to the pimped-ride playground is at an all-time low. What, then, is a big baller like Sprewell, whose street cred hinges on a standout ride, supposed to do? Start pimping out 200mph motorcycles, of course!
Sprewell is no newcomer to bikes-he's been riding since his college days at University of Alabama, and he currently owns 20 bikes, all of them blinged out with custom paint, motor mods and a brace of aftermarket upgrades. What is new, however, is the launch of a dedicated motorcycle division of his business, Sprewell Motorsports (www.sprewell-motorcycles.com), which is dedicated exclusively to custom sportbikes. Sprewell hopes to use his business and his celebrity star power to influence custom sportbike style in the same way that he has influenced the automotive aftermarket.
Custom sportbikes are definitely on the celebrity radar, especially in the basketball world. Former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordon maintains a fleet of chromed-out and candy-painted Ducati and Suzuki sportbikes and even owns his own AMA/Superbike roadracing team, and Miami Heat hero Shaquille O'Neal chooses stretched-and-slammed Hayabusas as his preferred mode of transport. From a business perspective, Sprewell tells us, the market for sportbikes is red-hot; when asked about the potential upside compared with the auto aftermarket, his answer is simple and direct: "Bigger."
To get his new motorcycle business started off on the right foot, Sprewell first commissioned a new ride for him to act as a showpiece, based on an '05 Suzuki Hayabusa-Sprewell's preferred mount. The first thing you notice about the bike, obviously, is the unique magenta-red base color, an homage to University of Alabama's legendary Crimson Tide basketball team that Sprewell played for during his college years. Setting off the simple crimson basecoat is a multitoned blue Sprewell Motorsports logo covering the lower fairing and fuel tank.