As a young boy, Kevin Durant, like many in Washington D.C., wore New Balance sneakers. But when it was time for basketball, Durant turned to the brand that would ultimately have a major impact on his life on and off the court.
That brand was Nike and this past Friday, Durant and the brand announced they had agreed to a lifetime contract.
According to Boardroom, which is owned by Durant and partner Rich Kleinman, the new lifetime partnership will include footwear, apparel and “a community and philanthropic collaboration focused on grassroots basketball.”
The deal enables Durant to join Michael Jordan and LeBron James in an even more exclusive group of athletes who have signed lifetime deals with the Swoosh’s basketball division.
“When I first signed with Nike, I couldn’t have dreamed of how far we’d go in this partnership. We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically. We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal,†said Durant.
This type of deal was unfathomable to a young Kevin Durant. As he told Nick DePaula on The Sneaker Game, he grew up wearing New Balance 929s as his daily shoe.
“That’s what we wore where I’m from,” Durant laughingly told DePaula. “In D.C. that’s what we wore.”
But when it was time to play ball, Durant was all Nike and that brand stayed on his feet anytime they touched a court.
As he rose to basketball prominence nationally and became a star at Texas, Durant, still a teenager at the time, had a choice to make in 2007 when it was time to play in the league.
Nike or Adidas.
While Adidas made a tempting pitch, which included $10 million more than its fiercest competitor, Nike ultimately won out due to its more encompassing nature, vision of the future and Durant’s loyalty.
“Always been a fan of Nike as a kid,” said Durant. “Then as a basketball player- high school, AAU, college- that’s all I wore on my feet. That’s all my friends wore. It just felt a part of my DNA and once Adidas and Nike were on the table and I visited Adidas…they had a great pitch for me as well, but I couldn’t see myself playing my NBA career as an Adidas athlete. And Nike has always been the supreme brand to me.”
Durant stayed with Nike for the next 7 years. But in 2014, his loyalty was tested when Under Armour offered him a 10-year, $250 million deal. While he contemplated a switch, the then-Oklahoma City Thunder star ultimately remained loyal to Nike and re-upped with the brand for roughly $300 million.
Nine years later, Kevin Durant has a lifetime deal with Nike, the brand he first signed with 16 years ago as the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics. It’s one that will allow his brand to continue growing and expanding into other areas such as community endeavors, court restorations and other charitable causes.
And it’s a deal that will keep on giving well after his NBA playing days are done.
“As one of the best basketball players in the world, Kevin Durant has been an important part of the Nike family for the past 16 years. We look forward to continuing to serve the next generation of athletes together,†said Nike EVP of Global Sports Marketing John Slusher.
