When it comes to NBA players they work hard to get shoe deals. The top NBA players such as LeBron James, James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry all have the NBA’s top shoe deals. The top brands who have been dominating shoe deals include Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor. As of 2018 there have been new players in the shoe deal game which include Puma, and New Balance. The tread of these deals include more then just shoes, they also include clothing lines.
The super stars of the NBA with huge sneaker deals are:
Klay Thompson – Anta
This deal was signed 80 million through 10 years. As reported by bleacher report
Gianis Antetokounmpo – Nike
This deal included a signature line with a release date of his first shoe in 2019.
Damian Lillard – ADIDAS
Damian is reported to get 10 million a year.
Kyrie Irving – Nike
Who’s signature shoe has become one of the most popular shoe for players around the NBA to wear.
Russell Westbrook – Nike/Jordan
Russell signed a deal with the Jordan Brand. He also has his own clothing brand which is called Honor The Gift.
James Harden – ADIDAS
This deal is worth 200 million which was signed in 2015. This deal also includes a clothing line collaboration between Harden and ADIDAS.
Kevin Durant – Nike
Kevin’s deal included a signature line which is on its 12 version of the shoe. He also has a clothing line with Nike.
Stephen Curry – Under Armour (UA)
This deal was signed in 2013. Curry was previously with Nike and Under Armour took a chance on him in his early career. Curry now makes 14 million a year with UA and also includes a clothing line.
LeBron James – Nike
One of the most notable shoe deals in the modern NBA. There is a lifetime deal in place with his contract to Nike which includes a signature shoe and clothing line.
Lesser Known Players
Some players who are not considered stars in the NBA are also shooting up in fame. This is due to social media and marketing themselves as influencers. It has created a whole new aspect as being considered marketable, and due to this they are creating their own brands.
The Toronto Raptors
For example, if you look at the Toronto Raptors you have Kyle Lowry on a deal with ADIDAS and Kawhi Leonard on a new deal with New Balance. Then you look around the team and you notice players such as Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell, Fred Van-Vleet, and even coach Nick Nurse with their own brand of clothing and logos. I can not say for sure if the Toronto Raptors are encouraging their players to work on their own branding, but this seems to be the best option for these players.
After the NBA, players do not know what to do. Some work on TNT or ESPN, and some do not have any experience other then working for the NBA. This causes players not to work after the NBA and possibly lose their money. With the new system that the Toronto Raptors seem to have in place for players, they get to have a business in the NBA and can work at having a business when their NBA careers are over.
Conclusion
So when it comes to players being marketable you can’t just talk about the Kevin Durants and LeBron James of the NBA. You can now start to talk about the Kelly Oubres, and Fred Van Vleet’s.