In 1993, AND1 began as a graduate school project partnership of Seth Berger, Jay Coen Gilbert and Tom Austin while they were graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania. The company name is derived from a phrase used by basketball broadcasters: when a player is fouled while shooting, and still scores a basket, the referees awarded the points for the made basket "and 1" for the made free throw. Early advertising strategies, used to distinguish their products from others, included other basketball slogans and trash talk, such as "Pass. Save Yourself The Embarrassment". In mid of 1996, NBA star Stephon Marbury became the first spokesman for AND1 and once had his own name brand AND1 shoe called "Starbury". (www.and1.de) (www.wikipedia.com)