Which NBA players have Nike shoe contracts? LeBron James, Kyrie Irving lead signature athletes
Nike dominates the NBA.
Not only are they the official merchandise partner of the league, they are at the forefront of on-court apparel among the league’s players.
Usually when Nike targets a player they sign him because they are Nike and most young players dream to sign with the brand. Not every player the Swoosh signs has the same deal, however, and only a select few achieve elite status within the brand.
Here’s everything you need to know about the different tiers of Nike’s shoe stores and which of their athletes have signed contracts.
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Which NBA Players Have a Nike Shoe Deal?
Considering that Nike is the largest sports brand in the world – the combined share of Nike and Jordan Brand accounts for 86 percent of the performance market and 96 percent of the lifestyle basketball category – it’s only natural that a large number of players the league who wear branded products.
It’s estimated that more than two-thirds of the NBA wear Nike shoes on the field, but it’s important to note that not all Nike footwear contracts are created equal. only one very A small percentage have a signature footwear contract (we’ll get into that in detail below), and there are three tiers of Nike contracts in the league.
After all, even a conglomerate like the Swoosh can’t pay Everyone to support their product.
What are the three contract levels?
- Merch deal: Most of Nike’s athletes in the league are on this deal. This is when the company is basically offering goods that the player can wear without any monetary compensation. However, a Merch Deal player is entitled to a free product to wear during the game, and these players often also get a product allowance that’s around the $25,000 mark. This will not carry over to the following season and must be spent by September 30th.
- cash transaction: According to ESPN’s Nick DePaula, in 2020 there were around 225 players in the NBA who made a cross-brand cash deal. These players can earn between $200,000 and $300,000 per year and between $2 and $3 million per year. They have a base salary from Nike, and their contract also usually includes various incentives and a product allowance.
- Signature Deal: This is the ultimate and one that all players hope to achieve. Not only do these players have their very own sneaker—and in some cases, merch, too—but they also receive a hefty base salary, as well as bonuses and a royalty on all of their shoe and apparel sales.
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Which NBA players have a signature shoe deal with Nike?
As previously mentioned, a signature contract with the Swoosh is reserved for the elite few.
As we near the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, only five active players will have a Nike signature shoe, with LeBron James leading the way with the 20th iteration of his LeBron line, which launches this fall points.
Incidentally, LeBron’s line is the second longest-running signature line with the same company behind just a guy named Michael Jordan. You may have heard of his shoes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first European player to have his own signature shoe when Nike debuted the Zoom Freak 1 in Athens, Greece. Kyrie Irving, who is on the ninth iteration of his hugely popular line, has doubts he’ll see a tenth with the brand after publicly criticizing the Kyrie 8, calling it “junk”.
Irving later backtracked on those comments, but his Nike deal is up at the end of the season and the company may feel it can’t continue working with the Nets guard. It has been reported that Nike is not ready to extend Irving’s contract beyond the end of the 2022-23 season.
| player | shoe |
| Lebron James | Nike LeBron 20 |
| Kyrie Irving | Nike Kyrie 9 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Zoom freak 4 |
| Kevin Durant | Nike KD15 |
| PaulGeorge | PG6 |