This past October, as the increasingly honest and blunt Milwaukee Bucks centerpiece has done over and over again during media sessions, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered an on-the-fly, all-time, hilarious one-liner.

“Money is not important,” he paused. “A lot of fucking money is important.” 

He had a Bucks contract extension decision looming, and it was to his advantage to actually wait until after this current season to extend, when he’d be eligible to sign a new four-year deal for $234 million.

The Twitter chatter challenged his charming humbleness and modest upbringing, with people pushing narratives that the star power and global audience had changed him — that it was now about the money as he entered his 11th season. 

It couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

(Just weeks after the Damian Lillard trade, Giannis eventually signed a new three-year, $169 million extension on the Oct. 23 deadline, that could escalate to $186 million, the extra guaranteed year he had wanted be damned.) 

Although it was said jokingly, there’s a deeper layer behind that Giannis quote.

As Antetokounmpo’s budding business empire has shown in recent years, a lot of fucking money is important because of the platforms, the programs, and the infrastructure that it’s allowing the entire Antetokounmpo family to build. 

Not just for themselves now, but for generations of Antetokounmpos to come. Just as importantly, for the community of Milwaukee, the people back home in Greece and Nigeria, and an audience around the world. 

Over the last decade, Giannis has empowered a team around him to begin building out an array of pillars that represent his different focuses, both in athletics and away from the game. The culmination of that groundwork led to the formation in June 2023 of Ante, Inc., the parent company for which Giannis serves as Chairman and Co-Founder. Ante, Inc. operates the business interests and efforts of him and his brothers Thanasis, Kostas, Francis, and Alex. 

“My family is building a business that we can be proud of,” beamed the Bucks star. 

The business of Giannis is booming and still growing. With those pillars now entailing a new media company, a growing global sneaker empire, over a dozen endorsements and investments, a web of sports franchise ownership stakes, and a charity foundation, Boardroom sits down with Giannis to get an inside look at how Antetokounmpo is building out a legacy for his family name.

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The Media Company 

In January, Giannis officially announced his newest venture with the formation and launch of Improbable Media. The new production company, co-founded with ESPN broadcaster Jay Williams, already boasts a host of documentaries, TV commercials, and other uplifting content in the works.

“Building the company was great and is something that, in my world, helps my life become easier,” he said. “I would love to produce a lot of things that I’m passionate and interested about, that people would love to watch.”

The company named former Fusion Media Network and Red Bull executive Jonathan Stern as its CEO. It also added the Milwaukee Bucks Director of Content Nick Monroe as its Head of Features, who has photographed, filmed and traveled extensively with Antetokounmpo over the years.

Improbable’s debut feature production is a full-length documentary on Giannis himself, dubbed The Marvelous Journey and available to watch on Amazon‘s Prime Video. He specifies that it’s been two years in the making. The film features his mother’s first extensive solo interview and provides more access to his life away from the court than ever before.

“I wanted to be myself, and I wanted people to see me not just as a basketball player,” he said. “For example, I never talk about or show my kids, and this will probably be the first time that you’ll see that.” 

In addition to his own documentary, the company produced UGO: A Homecoming Story, a 31-minute long feature in partnership with WhatsApp following Antetokounmpo on his first visit to his family’s homeland of Nigeria.

Improbable Media is currently working on another feature-length film to share the true life story of Efe Obada, a Nigerian-born NFL player who overcame human trafficking and homelessness at the age of 10 when he and his sister moved to London. The production company is also working to co-produce content for companies like Breitling and Nike, with whom Antetokounmpo has long-term partnerships. 

With Marvelous Journey serving as the premiere piece of content from the new venture, Antetokounmpo is already seeing firsthand how shaping stories with his Improbable Media team has been able to cut through in the space. 

“In my industry, a lot of people always talk about what I had to go through and who I am as a person,” he described. “There are a lot of narratives that people create. But this is no narrative. This is me talking about the stuff we had to go through and the real journey. … Things that we had to go through in order to get here. It shows a different side of me.”

The Endorsements & Investments 

For every generational talent in the NBA, there’s a litany of lucrative offers constantly from companies looking to partner with a player of Giannis’ stature. 

“A lot of endorsement deals come to my table, and I try to pick things that align with my brand,” Antetokounmpo says matter-of-factly of his approach. 

His “brand” has proven to be one of the more unique across the league. His family connection and pride for his loved ones are undeniably a hallmark of both his public image and his daily persona, a trait and storyline that’s shown to connect with audiences from around the globe. 

He’s also long accepted and embraced his constant goofiness, sharing near-daily dad jokes in interviews and constantly coming across as one of the league’s more natural comedians for his audience of a combined 25 million followers across Instagram, X, and TikTok on social media. 

Coupled with his underdog rise from an unknown prospect upon entering the league to a now two-time MVP and NBA champion, Antetokounmpo’s aspirational story is the ascension to greatness that brands are constantly looking to celebrate in marketing campaigns.

All of that has led to Giannis holding one of the NBA’s most expansive endorsement portfolios. 

Antetokounmpo’s collective of corporate sponsors and partners, which he has secured through his years of being represented by his agent, Alex Saratsis, features an array of global companies, including Nike, WhatsApp, Google Pixel, Degree, JBL, 2K Sports, Kronos Foods, T-Mobile, TCL, digital health insurance company Antidote, and Greece’s Aegean Airlines. 

Just before NBA All-Star Weekend, the All-Star Game’s leading vote-getter added yet another endorsement deal to his stable, becoming the new face of lemon-lime soda Starry, the official soft drink of the NBA. 

“I feel like I could be funny and joke around, the same way that Starry jokes around,” said Antetokounmpo of the fit. “The 30-second clip is fun, and it shows the fun side of me out there. It promotes the product in a great light, and I was happy with it.”

Under the Ante, Inc. parent company, Giannis and his family also boast a growing investment stable that now features equity in companies including Flexpower Health, Candy Funhouse, and Ready Nutrition. They also acquired a 10% stake in Hellenic Wineries, which oversees Boutari Wineries, a 100-year-old Greek legacy winery that produces both wine and natural mineral water. 

At the start of this season, the Antetokounmpo family also launched their own AntetokounBros Shop, just adjacent to Milwaukee’s new Trade Hotel, which sits across the street from the Bucks’ home at Fiserv Forum and the city’s “Deer District.” Another AntetokounBros Shop is located within the Athens Airport, with each store featuring casual and athletic apparel celebrating the brothers of the Antetokounmpo family. 

Along with the emerging business portfolio, in 2022, the collective launched the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation in honor of their late father, who passed away after a heart attack in 2017. The “global social impact foundation” has already launched several initiatives in categories including education and health. The foundation is also specifically providing resources and financial support for refugees and immigrants to help improve their living conditions, as well as widows and families facing the loss of a loved one.

Each of the efforts aligns with the Antetokounmpo family’s experiences and hardships as they established themselves in Greece and, more recently, faced the loss of Charles.

Another key pillar of the foundation’s mission is athletics, and with the launch of the AntetokounBros Academy, in partnership with Nike and the EuroHoops organization, Giannis and Co. aim to provide access to sports for youths in Milwaukee, Greece, and Africa. 

The Shoe Deal 

Within the signature shoe business, there’s been a pricing and positioning trend in just the last decade, which Nike has been ramping up to aggressively grow the business of its handful of featured athletes. 

Several of their signature athletes actually have two signature shoes each season — their main annual “numbered” model and a “takedown” model that is priced considerably lower with a different distribution strategy. Several other brands have also utilized the strategy in recent years.

Antetokounmpo is now on the fifth model of his Zoom Freak series, priced at $140, and the third model of his Immortality sneaker, priced at $90. Since launching his own signature series with Nike in 2019, he’s been steadily building a top-five-grossing signature basketball shoe business among active NBA players, that now towers north of nine figures, thanks largely in part to his dual-model approach.

“I’m happy that my relationship with Nike has been incredible,” said Antetokounmpo. “They allow me to showcase my personality and I think our product is really, really good — one of the best in the league.”

The Immortality shoe has become the best-selling sub-$100 basketball sneaker, with Nike’s first European signature athlete driving serious volume internationally and across a batch of sporting goods retailers nationwide in the US. More than 40 players have worn an Immortality shoe in the NBA this season, with the model also worn all across the EuroLeague.

“I love it,” he adds. “And I know that a lot of people around the world love it too.”

This past summer, entirely behind the scenes, Antetokounmpo was actually faced with yet another large looming contract decision — his Nike deal was set to expire in the fall of 2024.

Because of the standard 14-18-month product planning calendar that the footwear industry operates under and the success that Giannis and the brand have had to date, Nike looked to lock in a shoe deal extension well ahead of the expiration date in July 2023, so as not to interrupt the ongoing planning for the Fall 2024 season at the time. 

As a dude that specifically covers sneaker deals, a few weeks beforehand this past June, I got a DM on Instagram from Giannis himself. He was looking to give me a ring and pick my brain about the signature shoe business at large, as he weighed the new extension, just before heading to China for his latest sneaker tour with Nike.

“Man, I’m gonna give you a shout-out here, Nick,” Antetokounmpo now jokes. “For a lot of people that don’t know, me and Nick, we had a lot of conversations throughout the summer. He’s got a lot of knowledge on contract extensions and the footwear world.” 

As it turned out, he quietly and happily inked the new long-term deal that is set to make him one of the industry’s highest-earning sneaker endorsers, while also guaranteeing longevity in the sneaker game that few players achieve during their playing careers. 

“It was easy for me,” he says now. “It was legacy. We talked about it. I had the opportunity to have a Giannis 10 and Giannis 15, and I don’t think there’s a lot of people that can say that. Obviously, Kobe, KD and LeBron — those are the three, and now I’m joining a list like that.”

As he’s shown throughout his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks, his decision to extend with Nike was also powered by the connective elements of both familiarity and loyalty. 

“I pride myself on my loyalty and sticking around with the people that have supported me and given me the opportunity to be where I am today,” he described. “That’s what I tried to do.”

Giannis fondly remembers once sharing Nike shoes with his older brother Thanasis when they couldn’t both afford a pair of basketball shoes while growing up in Greece, later first inking a modest-paying shoe deal as a teenager beginning his pro career in Europe and now being one of the Swoosh’s global featured faces of the entire company. 

“Nike believed in me when I was a skinny 17-year-old kid with nothing,” he smiled. “Again, it was a no-brainer to continue this partnership and to build something great here. It’s going to last longer than me. I’m very, very happy for the extension.” 

The Team Ownership Portfolio 

In addition to the media company, another of Antetokounmpo’s noted focuses in recent years has been his pursuit of team ownership stakes across professional leagues in the US. Since signing a supermax contract in 2019 and his most recent max extension last fall, he’s set his sights on building out an ownership portfolio across other professional sports leagues. 

Giannis and the Ante, Inc. parent company are currently minority owners across three leagues, holding equity percentages of the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, the MLS’s Nashville SC, and the Los Angeles Golf Club of the upcoming Tiger Woods-backed Tomorrow’s Golf League. In each case, he and his brothers have entered into the ownership groups together. 

“I’m trying to do things that I’m passionate about,” he said. “The Milwaukee Brewers — it’s home. I know the best player on the team, and that was easy. Soccer, my dad played soccer, and I played soccer since I was like 11 before I focused on basketball. I’m a big, big soccer fan.”

While he admits he’s just beginning on the links, the potential and excitement around the upcoming TGL and the opportunity to take on an equity stake in one of just six of the upstart league’s franchises was too good to pass up. 

“Once I’m done with basketball, maybe I’ll get myself into golf a bit more,” he joked. “[With] golf, I’m trying to get myself together, man. [laughs] My swing is not that good, but Doc Rivers might help with that. He’s a big golf player and golf fan, so we’ll see. I’m just excited to do things that I can prep for my career for after basketball.”

As TV and streaming platforms continue to prioritize high-cost rights to air live sports, franchise valuations across leagues have rapidly accelerated over the last decade. There’s perhaps no better case study than the Bucks, who were purchased for $550 million in 2014, the year after Giannis’ rookie season. 

Thanks to his star power, the continued global growth of the NBA, and the Bucks’ championship run in 2021, the franchise currently boasts a valuation of over $3.2 billion. With over $400 million in combined on-court past earnings and guaranteed future contract years, and another max contract likely in store ahead, Antetokounmpo doesn’t necessarily want to estimate how much he’s helped to spike that rise in the Bucks’ overall valuation, though he’s proud of the contribution he’s certainly made. 

“I really don’t know, and I don’t want to sound arrogant,” he said. “But anyone that’s followed my journey and the Bucks’ journey will understand my impact on the team being worth $3 billion dollars — it’s big. But I really don’t care about that.

“I understand that it’s a business, and the owners gotta do what they have to do,” he continued. “I didn’t buy the team for $400 or $500 million — they did. They’re the ones that sold the team when the valuation was $3 billion. They’re businessmen, and they have to make a living. They’re good in business and good at putting value into stuff and flipping it. They’re good at putting everything together for it to be successful.”

With the experience of seeing that rise up close and in real-time, the 29-year-old has learned the value of already taking on ownership stakes in leagues he has the ability to enter now. His franchise stakes across three teams currently set him up to benefit as each league and the sporting landscape continue to grow. 

The Legacy 

Across the myriad of moves made, companies launched, investments, and endorsements inked, Giannis doesn’t hesitate to reflect on how he’s gotten to this point and the legacy he’s looking to build for himself and his family. 

He always comes back to his father Charles, and the pride to pursue the impossible that was instilled in him early on after his family’s humble upbringing in Greece. 

“My dad did not have nothing,” he reflects calmly, with a pause. “But he had us.”

Since 2017, Giannis has relentlessly sought to celebrate Charles’s life and impact on his children. Just afterward, he tasked the Nike design team with always including a phrase on his annual signature shoes: “I Am My Father’s Legacy.” 

“When he passed away, he didn’t leave money, cars, or houses — none of that,” continued Antetokounmpo. “But he left his legacy with me and my brothers. So we want to represent him every single day to the best of our abilities. That’s what we try to do.”

As a result, his budding business empire is shaping up not just to generate “a lot of money” for Antetokounmpo, but through his foundation, his media company, his athletics academy, and his inspiring play on the court, Giannis is already seeing just how his legacy can begin to extend around the world and make its mark in Milwaukee and beyond.

“I’m just happy that I was able to impact the city of Milwaukee,” he said.

“I believe with me being there, I provided a lot of jobs, provided excitement and have tried to help the community with my family. … We’ve been able to uplift people and help close the gaps, man, and we’re doing it with the people that we love.”

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Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook also contributed to the compilation of this piece.

—

When recalling sneaker history, it’s impossible for one to ignore the impact the Black community has had on the industry.

From the game’s legends, like Walt Frazier and Michael Jordan, to the stars of this generation, like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, there are many prominent sneaker brands that may not be where they are today if not for the contributions of the Black athletes, coaches, and executives they’ve partnered with over the years. It’s why you see footwear’s finest, such as Nike, Jordan Brand, and Adidas, release entire collections dedicated to Black History Month annually.

Simply put, the sneaker game is what it is today in large part due to the many accomplishments made by the Black community. While it would be an impossible task to compile all of them in one place, with Black History Month nearing its end, Boardroom decided to highlight just a few of the biggest moments and milestones that have been made along the way.

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1973: Walt “Clyde” Frazier Becomes Signature Athlete at Puma

All sneakerheads know the Puma Clyde, the first signature sneaker there ever was. It’s also one of the first shoes that boasted success both on and off the court. Fifty years later, many still wear Clydes. At the time, Walt Frazier reportedly received roughly $5,000 and free kicks. However, at the time, he wasn’t a huge fan of the material on the shoes, so they made him a new one.

More importantly, this was the beginning of the signature shoe era. With new brands engrained in the space, there are 26 current athletes in the NBA that boast signature shoes, while Sabrina Ionescu’s new Nike line — popular among NBA and WNBA players alike — pushes the active WNBA total to three.

While exact numbers year after year can be hard to come by for every athlete, a report by Statista in 2019 revealed that LeBron rakes in over $30 million annually via his signature line, with Durant and Stephen Curry not far behind. The big business of the signature shoe isn’t its only perk, as it brings with it bragging rights and a lasting legacy alike, making it one of the ultimate Ws for the modern athlete.

1984: Michael Jordan Signs Royalty-based Endorsement Deal with Nike

Not only did MJ put the sneaker industry in a chokehold with this deal, but it might also be the best in sports business history.

Prior to the launch of Jordan Brand, Mike initially wanted to sign with Adidas coming out of college and heading into his NBA rookie campaign. But the eventual six-time champion would end up signing with The Swoosh thanks to a push from his mother, and the rest is history.

Nike agreed to give Jordan roughly 5% royalty of all sales at the time, not knowing how good MJ would end up being on the court in addition to the sneaker empire he would go on to build off of it. As of 2022, Jordan Brand became second-largest footwear company in North America, highlighting the early agreement as one of the best business deals of all time.

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To illustrate how much money Mike is raking in via Nike, let’s break it down: Jordan Brand brought in $6.6 billion in sales last year, putting him at roughly $330 million in royalties for 2023. For reference, MJ made “just” $94 million in on-court career earnings. Mike’s agent, David Falk, revealed in The Last Dance documentary that Nike had hoped to make $3 million by Year 4 of the Air Jordans partnership; they sold $126 million worth in the first year.

The revenue Nike gained in 1984 sat just under $1 billion. In 2023, The Swoosh raked in $51.5 billion.

1992: Fab 5 Beats Notre Dame with Freshman Starting Lineup debut — valuation of Michigan endorsement contracts/NIL

The Fab 5 stamped their place in college basketball history, but they also left their mark on the sneaker industry, too. And if you ask Jalen Rose, they changed the shoe game in college hoops forever.

And the Fab Five’s run has left its fingerprints all over the Michigan athletic department to this day. In 2015, Michigan partnered with Jordan Brand, becoming the first program in the country to rep the Jumpman on the gridiron. Despite the Jim Harbaugh-led program not being at its best when the deal was made, the deal has more than paid off for the Jumpman.

1995: Sheryl Swoopes Launches Nike Air Swoopes

In addition to making history as the first player drafted in the WNBA, Sheryl Swoopes also bust down doors in the sneaker game with Nike. In 1995, a year before the league was even founded, Swoopes and The Swoosh launched the Nike Air Swoopes. The four-time champion and three-time MVP debuted the sneakers at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Swoopes blazed a new trail for women getting their own shoes, with Sabrina Ionescu being the latest WNBA star to get the signature treatment with Nike.

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1997: Nike Announces Brand Jordan

Thanks to the success of the Air Jordans, Nike decided to take things even further with the arguable GOAT, launching a Swoosh subsidiary in the Brand Jordan, its original name. Analysts predicted the company would make $300 million in Year 1, separate from The Swoosh. Fast-forward to 2023, and Jordan Brand is looking at $6.6 billion in annual sales, over a 20x increase.

2001: Allen Iverson Signs Lifetime Partnership with Reebok

Relative to the few others, Allen Iverson has one of the more unique lifetime deals with Reebok. The Answer initially agreed to a 10-year, $50 million contract with the company ahead of his rookie season, but halfway through the deal, Iverson made the long play. While he sacrificed the annual $5 million he would get the rest of the contract, the 2001 NBA MVP would now receive $800,000 per year for the rest of his life in this new deal. Additionally, Iverson is set to receive a $32 million trust fund from Reebok on his 55th birthday (he turns 49 in June).

While the numbers can’t hold a handle on what Jordan has been able to do, Iverson set the stage for athletes who may sign with a smaller brand but still have the goal of a lifetime contract. (See: LeBron, KD.)

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2004: Shaq Partners with PayLess, Walmart

While both with Reebok, Shaq went down a completely different road in his sneaker journey than AI.

Many shoes these days are made with premium materials, putting the cost at a premium price. But after an encounter with a woman who complained about his overpriced sneakers, Shaq wanted to make his line affordable and accessible to the masses. After opting out of his deal with Reebok, Shaq went on to make his own brand and partner with both PayLess and Walmart, putting shoes on the feet of hundreds of millions nationwide.

2012: Dwyane Wade Partners with Li-Ning

To illustrate how groundbreaking Wade’s deal was with Li-Ning, take a look a USA Today’s headline when the whole thing went down in 2012: Dwyane Wade announces bizarre shoe deal.

To be fair, it absolutely was unique at the time. After rockin’ Converse and Jordan Brand for the first nine seasons of his NBA career, Wade made the decision to switch over to the Chinese brand, which was little known at the time. However, the gamble paid off. He’s been able to have creative and strategic input en route to building a successful line with Li-Ning.

The first-of-its-kind deal paved the way for players like Jimmy Butler and CJ McCollum to eventually sign with Li-Ning. It also opened the booming Chinese market up for additional big name NBA deals. Kyrie Irving is now a strategic and creative lead with a signature line at Anta. 361 Degrees boasts the Denver duo of Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon on its roster. Even Austin Reaves is getting in on the action with Rigorer.

2023: Shaq, Iverson Named President, VP at Reebok

In a full-circle moment, Shaq went from Reebok‘s first signature athlete to an owner of the company in 2022 to being named the brand’s President of Basketball. While we don’t know what kind of ripple effect this move will have on the sneaker industry moving forward, it surely opens the doors for similar partnerships to form at other brands in the future.

Shaq wasted no time in his new position, too, appointing Allen Iverson as his VP and signing LSU star Angel Reese to a multi-year endorsement deal shortly after.

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Twelve years ago in Orlando, the NBA All-Star Game was a scene.

From riots at local malls to Dwyane Wade breaking Kobe Bryant‘s nose, the competition was fierce for sneakers and buckets.

On the court, King James, the Black Mamba, Flash, Superman, Melo, and the Point God were all in their playing prime, going to war with league MVP Derrick Rose and an ascending Russell Westbrook.

Off the court, the “Galaxy” Nike Air Foamposite One broke banks, malls, and the Internet.

The Big Bang of modern clout created a constellation of collectible colorways for Nike Basketball, quickly making hoop shoes a status symbol again, exploding the resale market as we know it.

In the middle of it all was a a young Kevin Durant.

Going toe-to-toe with basketball’s best, the young forward showed out on the hardwood and in stores, winning All-Star Game MVP while debuting the “Galaxy” Nike KD 4.

Scoring 36 points in his glow-in-the-dark sneakers, the metallic makeup meant to look like a spacesuit lifted basketball’s original unicorn, only to evaporate at retail at the speed of light.

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Now, 12 years later and an All-Star for the 14th time, KD is still amongst the league leaders in scoring and still a starter in the midseason classic.

Perhaps even more exciting for fans? The Nike KD 4 “Galaxy” is releasing as a retro for the first time in history.

To culminate the comeback, Boardroom breaks down the nuance and nostalgia of this tipping-point pair.

A Category Crossover

Nike Basketball was booming heading into the spring of 2012.

After almost a decade of trying to find its footing following Michael Jordan’s final retirement, the Swoosh established a new sweet spot where the hardwood and the hallway interacted.

First, momentum mounted in 2008 with the release of the Hyperdunk: a blue-sky design drafted off technical innovation and the world’s stage of the Summer Olympics.

Though not casually lauded save the “McFly” makeup, the Hyperdunk instantly made Nike credible in basketball in a way their peers couldn’t mirror.

The equity rolled into a hot hand of Kobe colorways and LeBron line triumphs that sold storytelling just as much as performance, creating collector cache and lifestyle appeal to shoes once reserved strictly for the court.

In that same span, Kevin Durant became a signature athlete in his own right, giving Nike Basketball three personalities and player types that they could activate around all season long or rather all year.

After the success of 2010’s Christmas “Stoplight” Pack, each event on the calendar became a catalyst for thematic footwear from Nike Basketball.

The biggest hoop holiday of them all, NBA All-Star Weekend, saw the hype hit full tilt by way of 2012’s Nike Basketball “Galaxy” Pack.

“It’s the best All-Star collection to ever go down,” Index PDX co-owner Terrance Ricketts told Boardroom. “All these guys were in their prime.”

Building outer space sneaker themes around LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant, each pair played to the idea of intergalactic travel by way of thematic signatures.

The buzz was all skyrocketed by the hysteria surrounding the “Galaxy” Nike Air Foamposite One — a Penny Hardaway retro release so hot it caused chaos and sold for the price of a car.

Sitting at the sweet spot of Nike’s constellation collection was the KD 4: a $95 novelty capable of breaking ankles on the court and breaking necks at the mall without breaking the bank.

Because of the affordable price point and the halo effect of the pack’s hype, it quickly became the crowd favorite for those wanting in on the action.

“I saw so many people wearing those when they first came out, and I thought it was the coolest thing,” said Ricketts. “The KD 4 goes down as one of the best basketball shoes as well. The aesthetics and the time? It was iconic.”

To add to the energy, the “Galaxy” KD 4 was not only the most accessible pair but also endorsed by the youngest star of stars.

Heading into the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend, Kevin Durant was only 23 years old.

The starting small forward for the West squad would enter the game by giving daps to Drake and Lil Wayne before going head-to-head with the likes of LeBron and Carmelo.

He’d exit the exhibition with a win and a game-high 36 points, hoisting the All-Star Game MVP trophy above his head with the “Galaxy” KD 4s on his feet.

That spring, Durant would ride that hot hand to the NBA Finals and Summer Olympics.

When it was all said and done, the Nike KD 4 had a run that touched all corners of hoop culture.

The transcendent silhouette was just as visible in Larry O’Brien bouts as it was in AAU action. At only $95, the model was favored by kids just starting to collect sneakers just as much as it was by veteran sneakerheads like Wale and PJ Tucker.

To this day, the KD 4 remains revered.

Still, the “Galaxy” makeup is as much of a unicorn as the player they were inspired by. Even at Index — a consignment shop in Nike’s backyard — the “Galaxy” 4 registers as a rarity in modern times.

“Impossible to get,” Ricketts said. “We get a lot of sneakers. I rarely see that shoe.”

Gone But Not Forgotten

The 2010s were an era in which Kevin Durant rose from NBA All-Star to international superstar.

Winning Finals MVPs and scoring titles alike, the decade of dominance solidified Easy Money Sniper as an all-timer and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

“Kevin Durant is supernatural,” Sheck Wes recently shared on Boardroom’s Aux Money. “He defies the odds.”

Stylistically, KD’s positionless play and shape-shifting sneakers score a time that still strikes a nerve with those currently in their 20s and 30s.

“The Year 2010 to the Year 2020 was very important to the growth of the game,” Wes said. “I grew up in that era.”

Though it may seem strange to some that the ’10s are already nostalgic, they very much are to those who came of age in the last decade. Speaking to that time and that talent is the Nike KD 4.

While Wes keeps a pair of OG KDs in his rotation, he’s not alone. Lately, the NBA’s young elite has showcased the same affinity for the vault style.

From Ja Morant to LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey to Derrick Jones Jr., original pairs of the Nike KD 4 have remained relevant by today’s talent both in league action or on their come-up.

All the while, the KD 4 has remained rare because they’ve never received the proper retro treatment.

In 2024, that all changes with the return of the “Galaxy” Nike KD 4 Retro.

Coming off the heels of a lifetime deal with Durant and Nike, the spaced-out sneakers are back again and just in time for KD’s 14th All-Star selection.

Back on Earth

As early as 2019, fans and peers of Kevin Durant have been begging for a Nike KD 4 retro release. In Feb. 2024, it’s finally happening.

First previewed back in Dec. 2023 on the feet of the University of Texas Longhorn’s women’s and men’s basketball teams, the Nike KD 4 Retro “Galaxy” is officially landing in stores.

Launching at both boutiques and via SNKRS on Feb. 15, the flight suit sneakers will return for an MSRP of $130.

Sporting a silver upper, glow-in-the-dark sole, and unicorn logo on the tongue, the return reception is already red hot as most collectors still holding onto the originals have already worn through their 2012 pair.

“I’m never mad at Nike for re-retroing legend’s shoes,” Ricketts said. “The ‘Galaxy’ KD 4? I’m definitely getting those.”

From store owners to pro hoopers, adults to adolescents, the “Galaxy” KD 4 is ripe for a return.

Following a 12-year wait, the retro retail version sports the same styling as the original worn in Orlando by KD en route to his first All-Star Game MVP.

Set to start the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, the 35-year-old swingman can achieve the same accolade for the third time.

For fans of basketball and collectors of sneakers, the “Galaxy” KD 4 Retro shines a light on a golden era for Nike Basketball.

As the KD, Kobe, and LeBron lines remain relevant all these years later, the hope for a new wave of energy on the court and at retail remains.

From Friday night’s Rising Stars Challenge to Sunday night’s main event, unicorns of every era and origin will try to make their mark at the midseason spectacle much like KD did back in 2012.

The explosive energy of that Orlando exhibition will be felt from the floor up, thanks to the timely return of the “Galaxy” KD sneakers that still stand as out of this world.

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The post The Return of the Nike KD 4 ‘Galaxy’ appeared first on Boardroom.

Nike has signed AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 ranked male prospect of the Class of 2025, and Jerzy Robinson, the No. 1 ranked female player in the Class of 2026, as the company looks to land two leading future faces of the brand’s basketball business. 

“Joining the Nike basketball family is huge,” said Dybantsa. “When I was asked, it was a no-brainer.”

A versatile 6-foot-8 forward from Brockton, Mass., Dybansta was named Massachusetts Gatorade State Player of the Year after just his freshman season of high school basketball. He now stars at Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., where his all-around, position-less game and skills have experts projecting him as the potential future No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

Earlier this summer, Dybantsa was spotted working out with several NBA stars, getting training tips from individual sessions with Nike Inc. signature athletes like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, and Chris Paul.

“Growing up, watching people that inspired me wear Nike — to now being part of the same team is an opportunity I don’t take for granted,” he added. “I can’t wait to see what we can mix up on and off the court.”

As the No. 1 ranked player in the Class of 2026, Jerzy Robinson has been dominating as a shifty-scoring sophomore guard. After being named Arizona Player of the Year as a freshman, she took her talents to Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles, where she’s been turning heads while pairing both the Grinch and Reverse Grinch colorways of the Kobe 6 together in games. 

“I’m grateful to be a part of the Nike family and look forward to the exciting moments ahead,” said Robinson. “As a champion for women and girls on and off the court, I can’t wait to see all the amazing things we can do together.”

In addition to their high school team success, both Robinson and Dybantsa have also been leading the way for Nike-sponsored Team USA Basketball at the youth level.

Robinson helped steer Team USA to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championships, while the Dybantsa-fronted Team USA U16 squad also captured a gold medal in the FIBA Americas Championship. 

Both players are currently uncommitted for college, with the recruiting process recently ramping up. Robinson has already received at least ten college scholarship offers, from the likes of USC, UCLA, Arizona and others. Dybantsa currently holds offers from USC, Kentucky, North Carolina and several other schools.

As Nike continues to sign players to shoe deals under the new NIL marketing landscape, the brand’s impressive roster is beginning to take shape. Dybantsa joins USC’s Bronny James and Kentucky’s DJ Wagner as Nike athletes on the men’s side. Robinson joins an elite crew of female hoopers signed to Nike NIL deals that includes Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, USC’s Juju Watkins, and UConn’s Paige Bueckers. 

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The post AJ Dybantsa & Jerzy Robinson: The Next Generation of Nike Superstars appeared first on Boardroom.

@boardroom Tiger Woods to Taylor Made? #tigerwoods #nike #golftok #golftiktok #taylormade ♬ original sound – Boardroom

It was a much different time when Tiger Woods and Nike agreed to a partnership in August 1996.

Bill Clinton was re-elected as President. Atlanta hosted the Olympics. And gas prices hovered damn near $1/gallon.

It’s been a long time, and after 27 years together, Woods and Nike parted ways earlier this week. From the viral commercials to the must-have apparel to the iconic moments on the course, the legendary golfer simultaneously built his own brand and Nike’s in a multiple-decades-long deal that proved to be beneficial for all parties.

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We all know how successful Tiger has been on the links. He’s arguably the GOAT golfer — maybe not even arguably — as he’s tied for the top spot in PGA Tour history with 82 Tour wins. Among those are five Masters titles, four PGA Championships, and three more at the US Open and The Open each.

Nike has seen just as much success since partnering up with Tiger, having increased its revenue nearly 10x. While Woods wasn’t alone in helping get The Swoosh to this point, he carried the team regarding the company’s efforts in golf. And he was rewarded for that, bringing in roughly $660 million through his multiple Nike contracts over the years. For comparison, Woods has made $120,954,766 in career earnings (official tournaments) in his playing career.

On the heels of this huge partnership coming to an end, Boardroom’s Gabe Oshin breaks down why Woods made this decision now and how we may never see an athlete-brand relationship like the one Tiger and Nike had ever again.

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The post Breaking Down Tiger Woods’ Unprecedented Run with Nike appeared first on Boardroom.

As we move forward into 2024, a lineup of leading stars is already on the rise and brands from around the world are pacing toward finding even more momentum across the sneakers marketplace. With the Paris Olympics this summer, the global event will likely act as a key pillar of the calendar for brands to unleash their newest innovations on the world’s greatest athletes. 

This week, let’s lock in on the biggest stories I’m looking forward to for the year ahead.

The Kobe Year 

To close 2023, we saw Nike take a notable step toward revamping its efforts to promote the Kobe Bryant series. A campaign lapping into January launched in key markets like New York and LA, featuring some of Bryant’s most famous mentality moments throughout his 20-year playing career, touting “That’s Mamba.” 

To date, we’ve seen both Vanessa Bryant and Nike lean in often on key dates. There’s an annual “Mambacita” launch on Gigi’s birthday in May, along with an all-white “Halo” launch on 8/24, representing both of Kobe’s jersey numbers and the day after his birthday. 

I’d anticipate Nike to finally meet what’s been a relentless demand for Bryant’s sneakers during “Kobe Year” in ’24. Retailers anticipate a higher volume of products and more frequent launches after fans have largely been frustrated by a lack of availability in the last year.

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The visibility of the “Kobe Brand” is also set to ramp up throughout 2024. There are six NCAA schools in place as “Mamba Colleges” to help highlight pairs on both the men’s and women’s teams, new drops in store for the Kobe 4 Protro, Kobe 8 Protro, and Kobe 9 Protro all year long, and a new accelerated effort around releasing even more Bryant-branded apparel. As part of Nike’s internal re-org to begin 2024, a team of designers has been assigned to work on the Kobe category of products.

With the new contract between the Kobe Bryant Estate and Nike landing in March 2022, the standard corporate 14-18 month product planning calendar is now taking shape as we begin 2024.

More Women’s Sigs & Collections 

As TV ratings, social media metrics, and in-person attendance numbers continue to elevate across women’s sports, I’m also expecting to see even more products associated with women leading the way in hoops to come to market. 

Sabrina Ionescu will launch her second Nike signature shoe during the summer of 2024, with Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart set to launch her third Stewie signature shoe with Puma during the same window. Angel Reese’s first collection with Reebok will debut toward the end of the year during the Fall season. 

The next three players that I see making their mark in the sneaker game are Las Vegas Aces two-time champ A’ja Wilson, NCAA star Caitlin Clark, and USC freshman Juju Watkins. Each is already signed to Nike. 

Wilson is overdue for her own signature shoe. I’d like to see Nike, at the least, create PE colorways of the GT Cut series with Clark that could launch at the end of the year, regardless of whether she enters the WNBA Draft this year or returns for one last collegiate season at Iowa. Juju is must-see TV, getting buckets on a nightly basis at USC. She’s a player that Nike could be building up already with LA regional product launches while she’s still in school. I’m expecting to see all three take their leap as leading faces of Nike Basketball this year. 

Future of Curry Brand 

Since launching in late 2020, Stephen Curry is now on his fourth signature under his own Curry Brand, as he’s looked to establish his new “Splash” logo and the Flow technology that’s made its way across Curry’s product lineup of new models. 

With a lifetime deal in place, 2024 projects to be all about expanding Curry Brand even more. Its first signature athlete, Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, is set to debut his own namesake silhouette. The new year could bring even more athlete and ambassador signings. 

A potential first appearance for Curry at the Summer Olympics in Paris will also serve up yet another global stage for the Warriors star to showcase the future of his brand.

Year of the Foamposite

One of the keys to watch for Nike Sportswear this year will be the re-emergence of the Foamposite. After the model took off on an extensive run in 2012, the brand tucked the iconic Penny Hardaway sneaker back into the vault in recent years.

This year, it’s looking like a lineup of some of the most beloved Foamposites since its 1997 introduction is on the way back. The classic “Dark Neon Royal” is set to return, with detailing inspired by the sample pair from Nike’s original “Phone Number” campaign, complete with the blue Swoosh border and black and blue carbon fiber checkered shank. 

Look for the Eggplant Retro once again, along with one of the greatest theme colorways ever, as the “Galaxy” Foamposite from 2012 All-Star Weekend sees a return for the first time. 

Now priced at $240 retail, near-monthly Foamposite launches could lead to a serious category driver for Nike’s Sportswear imprint.

Reebok Is Back (again!) 

With new ownership comes new moves, and 2024 should become a foundational year for Reebok’s new vision and direction going forward. President of Basketball Shaquille O’Neal’s first move was signing LSU star Angel Reese to the brand, and this year, Reebok is looking to land an additional face of the company from the NBA. 

Shaq x Reebok

The Big Executive has been tasked with providing strategic direction, athlete recruitment, and marketing briefs for the brand’s upcoming relaunch into hoops.

Check it out!

With a replenished and more strategic retro approach for its coveted Allen Iverson and Shaq models to come this year, I expect ’24 to be the year that sets the company up for decades down the road as Reebok looks to re-capture the success and momentum it enjoyed throughout the 1990s. 

KD 4 Retro Releases

The breakthrough model of Kevin Durant’s line is on the way back, as the KD 4 is set to return all year long in both OG and new looks. Looking back at the original lineup of colorways from the 2011-12 season in which KD made his first trip to the NBA Finals, you realize just how deep the coveted colorways went. 

Durant recently named the “Galaxy” and “Weatherman” themes as his two favorites, although the favorite from most is often the “Nerf” KD 4. With his new lifetime deal with the Swoosh locked in, the KD 4 Retro should look to establish the next chapter of the KD business on the Retro side, with people calling for the return of the strapped-up silhouette for years now, and 2024 finally delivering. 

Tiger’s Next Move 

2024 started with a storyline that nobody would’ve ever expected to become a reality — Nike and Tiger Woods were splitting up. One of the most impactful sports marketing partnerships ever ended after 27 years and hundreds of millions in generated revenue. With Nike shifting to a lessened emphasis on new golf products and an expected focus on its growing Jordan Golf business, the two sides are parting ways as Woods enters the closing chapter of his career on the PGA Tour.

How Nike Made Tiger Woods Bigger than Golf

When Nike invested in a golf phenom that became bigger than the sport itself, the brand and the player didn’t just win. They altered the aesthetic of the sport.

Check it out!

In many ways, the split is comparable to Roger Federer‘s departure from Nike, as the brand struggled to justify paying the tennis icon’s market value when weighed against its small Nike Tennis business. Federer ultimately landed a 10-year, $300 million apparel ambassador deal with Uniqlo and an equity-driven footwear partnership with On that projects to be worth around the same figure.

Going forward, Woods is expected to soon announce his new brand partnership, potentially launching his own “TW” line of apparel in tandem with TaylorMade, according to industry sources. For the last year, he’s primarily played in FootJoy golf shoes on the course.

The Olympics!

The 2020 Olympics were unfortunately impacted due to the pandemic, leading to a shifting launch calendar that brands had trouble planning for once the Summer Games eventually took place in Japan in 2021. This year, the Paris Olympics are set to begin in late July and look to land as a triumphant return for new tech and innovation debuts. 

I’ve always loved seeing what brands have in store from a statement product standpoint, not just for the expected running and basketball events but for new sports like skating or specialty usage sports like weightlifting and even equestrian in years past. 

With the Olympics taking place in one of the world’s fashion capitals, the storytelling should go that much deeper. I’ll have my eye on a handful of hoopers in particular.

France native Victor Wembanyama could launch his first collection of PE colorways in Paris. Curry could debut a new silhouette during his first Olympic appearance. Nikola Jokić is expected to be donning his first signature shoe with 361°. Joel Embiid will also be suiting up for Team USA this summer, and the sneaker free agent could have an Olympic surprise in store.

Last but not least, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should see his star power go to another level as he leads a loaded Team Canada toward a potential Olympic medal. 

Can Kyrie Make His Mark Again? 

After parting ways with Nike over a year ago, Kyrie Irving landed a new five-year shoe deal with Anta that will see his first signature collection launch this spring. Already, he’s been practicing in blacked-out prototypes of two different sneakers from his upcoming KAI branded line, with a series of layered themes and more vibrant retail colorways expected to launch throughout the year. 

When he left Nike, his annual signature business was towering toward $400 million annually, making Irving one of the industry’s most successful series movers. 2024 will be an early indicator of whether Kyrie can continue his success in the industry under his new deal with Anta, which boasts more than 9,000 stores throughout Asia.

His next venture also includes a new wrinkle, with Irving taking an ownership stake in the global distribution plan by becoming an investor in Kicks Crew, where his signature series will be made available to US consumers. 

“It’s a game-changer in the athlete-brand partnership landscape,” said Irving. “It’s not just about endorsing a product anymore — it’s about being actively involved in how that product reaches consumers … We’re redefining the traditional athlete approach to shoe deals.”

If Irving can once again surpass the esteemed $100 million mark for his second act signature business this year, I wouldn’t rule out a return towards him elevating and becoming a top-five seller again.

The Shai Superstar Takeoff 

As the longtime double-digit signature lines of league icons from LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry continue on, there’s a new class of rising stars I expect to see take a huge jump in 2024. That trio should include Anthony Edwards, who’s debut Adidas AE 1 will be one of the best signatures of 2024, rapidly rising Pacers point Tyrese Haliburton, and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Currently under contract with Converse, if the OKC Thunder star in Gilgeous-Alexander entered a true sneaker free agency this fall, I fully believe that Shai could become one of the most sought-after endorsers in industry history. Several brands would immediately make him the face of their company — meaning a signature shoe will be an expected component of every potential offer.

I’ve been jokingly using this stat when talking to folks throughout the industry about his impact, but it’s still true: Last season, SGA became the first and only player to be named to the All-NBA first team and the All-League Fits first team in the same season. 

While the second award from SLAM’s Instagram off-shoot page might hold less historical significance on paper, it matters, and truly speaks to Shai’s rise as a crossover superstar, where he’s mastered the blend of on- and off-court perhaps better than anyone during the tunnel era. 

With the Thunder now a contending team heading into this year’s playoffs and the Team Canada headliner projecting to be a breakout star at the Paris Olympics, the time is right for a Shai signature business to begin. 

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It’s official: The Apple Vision Pro will launch in the US on Feb. 2. In a Monday release, the tech brand added that pre-orders for the mixed reality headset, which starts at $3,499 for 256GB of storage, will open on Jan. 19. The device will be available at all Apple Store locations in the US as well as through its online shop. The Vision Pro marks Apple’s first new product category since the Apple Watch dropped in 2015. Features of this product include seamless eye tracking, 4K micro-OLED displays with 23 million pixels combined, more than a dozen cameras, and more. Glasses-wearers will need prescription lenses to use the Vision Pro, which costs $99 for reader inserts and $149 for prescription lenses.

Tiger Woods, Nike End Golf Partnership After 27 Years

Nike and Tiger Woods have ended their commercial partnership after 27 years, the legendary golfer confirmed on social media Monday. In his statement, Woods thanked Nike co-founder Phil Knight, the Nike team, and the “incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way.” The 48-year-old also wrote that “there will certainly be another chapter.” While it’s yet to be determined what’s next for the Nike golf team, it shared a simple yet heartfelt message to Woods on its Instagram: “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.”

Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook breaks down the decades-long relationship between Nike and Tiger Woods.

Commanders’ Josh Harris Brings in Bob Myers to Fortify Front Office, HC Search

The Washington Commanders are making big changes, starting with the dismissal of head coach Ron Rivera and hiring a surprise face from basketball. On Monday, managing partner Josh Harris announced the addition of former general manager of the Golden State Warriors Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman to his advisory committee. Myers and Spielman will help Harris, Mitch Rales, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and David Blitzer search for a new head of football operations and head coach. The Commanders finished the 2023 season 4-13, only winning one game at home.

FanDuel Giving Gronk Another Chance at FG in Super Bowl Commercial

FanDuel is giving Rob Gronkowski a second chance to attempt the “Kick Of Destiny” again, the company announced Tuesday. Gronk’s attempt will come right before the kickoff of Super Bowl LVIII, and this time, it’ll be done in front of a live audience as part of FanDuel‘s continued marketing campaign. The retired NFL & Patriots tight end’s 25-yard attempt during the third quarter at last year’s Super Bowl started strong, but the wind pushed it wide left, so it was no good. “No wind is going to stop me, and we’re going through the uprights this year for everyone who picks that I’m going to make the kick,” Gronk promised.

Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung has everything you need to know about Gronk’s “Kick of Destiny 2.”

Sue Bird Steps into New Role as Partner & Chief Strategy Officer with Deep Blue

Sue Bird is joining Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment as the agency’s first Partner and Chief Strategy Officer. According to an Instagram post by the company sharing the promotion, the four-time WNBA champion will work alongside founder and CEO Laura Correnti to “help lead Deep Blue to become a first-of-its-kind women-focused, women-led firm that supports brands as they navigate growth markets in sports and entertainment, initially focusing on women’s sports.” Bird is also one of four co-founders of media and commerce company Togethxr as well as co-owner in A Touch More, a production company she started with longtime partner Megan Rapinoe.

PLL Announces Pro Women’s Lacrosse All-Star Exhibition Ahead of Championship Series

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) revealed plans to host a women’s professional lacrosse exhibition, the league announced Monday. The Unleashed All-Star Game is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. ET from The St. James in Springfield, Va., during the PLL’s 2024 Championship Series. Played in the Olympic Sixes format, globally recognized women’s lacrosse professionals from across North America will compete in a North vs. South exhibition. The match will also air on ESPN+ ahead of the final games of round-robin play in the PLL Championship Series when the Utah Archers face the California Redwoods and the Philadelphia Waterdogs face the Boston Cannons.

The post Apple to Launch the Vision Pro on Feb. 2 appeared first on Boardroom.

On Monday night, the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies face off in Houston for the College Football Championship.

Back in Portland, much more is at stake.

For the first time ever, Jordan Brand and Adidas will battle head-to-head for football bragging rights. Despite the Swoosh subsidiary’s start on the Chicago courts and the German juggernaut’s soccer pitch prominence, both billion-dollar brands have invested hundreds of millions in American football.

Since reuniting with Nike, Inc. in 2015 for a then record-setting $169 million deal, the Jumpman-branded Michigan football team has won four division titles and made the College Football Playoffs three times.

On Monday night, the Wolverines have a chance to hoist the national title trophy for the first time since 1997 — the same year Charles Woodson won the Heisman trophy and the same year Nike introduced Jordan Brand.

Across the gridiron, the stakes are just as high.

In 2019, the Washington Huskies left a long-term partnership with Nike in favor of $119 million from Adidas. Since then, they’ve won two division titles and find themselves in the national title game for the first time since 1991.

Just the same, Adidas is back in the conversation with college football’s best for the first time since Tee Martin led Tennessee in 1998.

Over the last quarter century, it’s been an uphill battle for both brands trying to gain traction in the amateur trenches.

For decades, Nike has dominated the Saturday sport, absolutely owning the college game to the tune of outfitting 23 of the last 24 National Championship teams. The lone exception during said stint was Under Armour, sneaking in a single title by way of Cam Newton and an Auburn deal then valued at over $36 million.

In a playoff landscape loaded with sizeable schools and lucrative fan bases, the No. 2 and No. 3 footwear companies in the world have already upset No. 1 Nike.

In last week’s semi-final, Michigan dethroned an Alabama squad backed by a $63 million Nike deal — one validated by six national titles in the Nick Saban era.

Later that night, Washington did their part as they defeated a Texas team that possesses a $250 million partnership with Nike — once reported to be the biggest deal in collegiate athletics history.

So, just what does Monday night’s matchup mean to the most powerful executives in sportswear? Boardroom breaks down the game within the game.

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Midwest Swing

Throughout its 25-year history, few endorsement deals have paid off for Jordan Brand as well as that of the Michigan Wolverines.

While signature shoe deals with Carmelo Anthony and b-ball buildouts for Cincinnati have kept the legacy line young and relevant since MJ’s retirement, the brand’s big-picture vision to expand beyond basketball is crystalized on a mass scale by that of The Victors.

In 2015 when Jordan signed Michigan away from Adidas, the Jumpman umbrella entered the wild world of college football by way of a ravenous fanbase rich with history.

The returns were immediate.

“One thing that jumps out is the whole Michigan deal,” Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller told Boardroom in 2022. “That helped us move the needle when it came to football because up to that point, we had football athletes that were signed but our logo couldn’t show up on the NFL field. When the Michigan deal happened, that opened up the idea of Jordan Brand on the football field.”

While the Air Jordan empire had long-laced NFL superstars such as Randy Moss, Warren Sapp, and Terrell Owens, inking the Ann Arbor institution meant more than signing on a traditional talent or even a mega-market team.

“Michigan was a perfect match for what they represent and what we brought to the table,” Miller said. “The first weekend that we launched, MJ and all of us were out there. On that weekend, they sold more products at the bookstore than they had the whole year before.”

Since the days of Desmond Howard, the University of Michigan has remained resident in the top ten merchandise sales among schools, ascending in recent years thanks to prominent programs on the gridiron and a loyal base beyond its college town corridors.

Simultaneously, the parallel rise of Jordan Brand as not just a footwear purveyor but a lifestyle brand in both a fashion and licensed sense has only added buzz to the multi-million dollar union.

To see both the block ‘M’ and Jumpman logo on National Championship t-shirts, hats, and hoodies, Jim Harbaugh and Jordan will have to take down an undefeated squad from Seattle.

West Coast Bias

For 20 years, the University of Washington was a Nike school.

Located 180 miles from the Beaverton brand’s campus, the Huskies sported the Swoosh, outfitting the likes of Budda Baker, Corey Dillon, and Lawyer Milloy. The Swoosh was synonymous with Washington’s purple and gold until only years ago.

In 2019, Adidas spent $119 million on making the Huskies their West Coast flagship.

No longer outfitting UCLA and having an extra $80 million freed up thanks to Michigan jumping ship, the Three Stripes sought UW to restore order for the brand in their US backyard of the Pacific Northwest. Thus far, the big bet has been worthwhile on the field as the Huskies have gone 40-16 in Adidas.

Timing, as they say, is everything as Adidas arrived at Husky Stadium right on the eve of NIL and transfer portal prospect Michael Penix Jr.

Already an Adidas athlete by way of playing previously at the Three Stripes-sponsored Indiana University, the star quarterback hit the ground running at Washington, leading the FBS in passing yards in 2022.

That single season in Seattle proved enough for Adidas to invest even more green in purple when they signed Penix the following fall as the brand’s first football student-athlete endorser.

“I couldn’t be happier to be teaming up with the Adidas family, I’ve been in the Three Stripes my entire college career,” Penix said in a statement at the time. “I’m appreciative of their investment in my university, my teammates, and myself.”

Joined in NIL royalty by his favorite target, Huskie wideout Rome Odunze, Penix Jr. and his teammate both balled out in their first official season as individual Adidas athletes, climbing NFL draft boards while seeing their purple Adidas jerseys sold at student bookstores.

Though Washington may lack the national fanfare and apparel sales of its opponent across the field on Monday, they have something Michigan does not: three future first-round picks projected to make major noise on Sundays.

For the Huskies, it all starts and ends with Penix.

For both brands, the battle in the trenches has been taking place for decades before the Monday night matchup.

Eye for an Eye

As idealized in big-screen fashion by Ben Affleck, Adidas infamously missed out on Michael Jordan in 1984, paving the way for Nike to become the $162 billion brand it is today.

While that battle was lost in the boardroom and thus the basketball court, the Swoosh’s massive market share has allowed them to own sportswear across categories, namely college football as seen by the last 25 years of dominance.

On Monday night, the Phil Knight proper will not be represented in Swoosh styling thanks to Washington defeating Texas and Michigan magnifying the Jumpman logo.

The sliding doors scenario of Mike not joining Adidas in ’84 and Michigan leaving the Three Stripes in 2015 all set the stage for the brand battles that took place in 2023 and show no signs of cooling down in 2024.

In August 2023, Statista published data stating that Jordan had leaped Adidas as the second most popular footwear brand regarding global market share.

Across categories, Jordan Brand’s big bet on youth, fashion, and, yes, even football, had paid off in a big way on a global scale. MJ’s empire posted a career-high in revenue, racking up $6.6 billion on the way to overtaking Adidas.

Despite the Three Stripes coming in third, the brand was not without wins.

In November 2023, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden turned the Footwear News Awards into The Source Awards. Stepping on stage to accept honors for the Adidas Samba winning Shoe of the Year, the man in the Stripes sent out shots.

“To the people from Nike here: Watch out,” Gulden warned. “We have a lot in the pipeline.”

Following Gulden’s swipe at the Swoosh, Jordan Brand quickly proved their brother’s keeper.

“I want to say to the brands and folks that called us out earlier: Bring it on,” Jordan Brand chairman Larry Miller retorted. “We’re ready for you.”

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On Monday night, the battle between the basketball brand and fútbol force will enter a new arena.

It’s an odd twist in a 40-year rivalry that’s touched Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, Landon Donovan and David Beckham, and even Pusha-T and Drake.

It’s a chance for two titans that have fought over the No. 2 spot for the last decade to become No. 1 in a space neither know as native.

It’s a war in which no exec will take a single snap, but all employees will take personally.

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The post The $300 Million Michigan vs. Washington Sneaker War appeared first on Boardroom.

@boardroom It’s so Michael Jordan to do all this in ‘23. #michaeljordan #nba #jordans #charlottehornets ♬ original sound – Boardroom

Michael Jordan had a big 2023.

The legendary hooper put his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets on the selling block and got a massive return.

He purchased the team for $275 million in 2010 and has increased his investment tenfold. He found a new buyer in a group led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin — including a minority stake for J. Cole — that brought in more than $3 billion.

However, the team’s sale is only one facet of his income stream. MJ brokered one of the most innovative deals with Nike when establishing Jordan Brand. Earlier this year, Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook spoke to his former agent, David Falk, who discussed their approach to business in the waning days of his playing career.

“Long after he retired, he still had Hanes. He still had Gatorade. He still had Nike,” Falk said. “They were very, very long-term deals. When I made the deals, I never expected he would play competitive basketball for the duration of the deals, and I told that to the companies. It didn’t matter; his popularity had endured.”

Well, this year, the popularity of the Jumpman — both the man and the brand — perseveres.

Jordan landed a cool $330 million from selling sneakers in 2023, roughly four times what he brought in throughout his on-court career.

For more on the big business of Michael Jordan, revisit Ian Stonebrook’s deep dive on his Last Dance season.

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This was one of my favorite years in sneakers, in awhile. 

From modern innovations to a strong string of signature shoes, respectable retros and oddities in between, 2023 brought out the best from several brands. It led to a landscape that’s become both increasingly competitive and balanced.

There were hyped-as-hell partnerships that delivered, obscenely viral launches you couldn’t get away from, and sneakers that ultimately transcended their simple intended purpose.

Check out my Top 25 sneakers of 2023 below, and let me know your favorites over on Twitter.

And, as I like to always remind everyone – it’s my opinion – so that’s the way it’s gonna go. 

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25 / Nike Air More Uptempo ’96

One of the most unmistakable sneaker designs of all time got a proper Retro this year. The clean black and white original Air More Uptempo once rocked by Scottie Pippen in the 1996 NBA Finals returned with larger volume Air units, an improved silhouette and better detailing than any other retro edition of the model that we’ve seen over the years. 

24 / New Balance x Stone Island FuelCell C_1 

New Balance has been no stranger to great collabs in recent years, but rather than another remix of the 991 or their beloved archival models, I was an instant fan of the Stone Island informed edition of the brand’s high tech new FuelCell model. The earth tones and fin heel brought a balance of modern, new and fresh to a still everyday wearable look. Plus, that outsole sculpting was exceptional.

23 / Ugg Tasman Weather Hybrid

I haven’t checked for Uggs shoes, ever. I don’t even really like the colorways that the brand dropped on these. However, this Tasman Weather Hybrid model was crazy and immediately caught my attention. I’d love to see some more lively looks, like a black / yellow or grey / teal edition. But after a well-received first launch, I could see the Tasman Hybrid being a model that people actually actively check for going forward.

22 / Nike Alphafly 3 

I don’t care for white shoes. I definitely don’t like orange. And yet I’ve seen enough. Unveiled at the tail end of the year, the new Alphafly 3 runner seeks to set the bar in the arms race world of high-end innovation. Ever since Nike first launched their elongated tail look along the heel of its debut Vaporfly 4% runner in 2017, the entire industry has followed. Each brand now seemingly showcases a similar silhouette of a supershoe in their lineup. The newest of the Fly series pushes things even further for the future. And now I’m just looking forward to some other colorways.

21 / Adidas x Fear of God 

The long, long — seriously — long-awaited first shoe from Fear of God’s oft-shifting partnership with Adidas released. And I thought they were damn good. With molded stripes inspired by David Beckham’s decades-old Predator cleat and a signature sloping stance and silhouette expected from Jerry Lorenzo’s lens, the three-year wait produced an impressive offering. While the actual “athletics” usage component might still need some proving out, we’ll have more to look forward to from Fear of God Athletics as we get into 2024 and beyond, now that the much-anticipated first drop signals that the collaborative collection is finally in swing.

20 / Adidas Stan Smith “Homer Simpson”

Just awesome. While Stan Smiths have been on a resurgent run for a few years now, this Simpsons-inspired Stan led the way for the larger Adidas x Simpsons pack. In the iconic original white and green heel colorblocking, the texture and detailing channeled from one of the great meme GIFs of internet history made for a cult classic sneaker that executed the concept to perfection. 

19 / Air Jordan 1 High OG Satin 

I’m not gonna lie. I was hot these didn’t get made above a women’s size 12. The colorway has been done a million times, but the satin sheen works. It gave a new spin on perhaps the most iconic Nike sneaker of all time. They’re seemingly sitting in some stores, but regardless, I thought the execution turned out great. While the J Balvin 3s and SB 4s were great updates to classic Jordan models, it was the Satin 1s I liked most for the year. I just wish I could find a damn women’s size 14.5 out there. 

18 / Jordan Tatum 1

At first glance, I thought Jayson Tatum’s debut signature shoe was way too technical — but that’s what makes for a great Jordan design. As brand figures have said over the years, you have to “be comfortable with being uncomfortable” to get somewhere new. The highly sculpted midsole, housing a visible Zoom Air unit up front and showcasing some expert construction throughout, was distinctive on-court and immediately recognizable on TV.

After years of impressive storytelling atop the annual Air Jordan since the 34, JT also layered in some great themes and graphics across a whole web of launches and PEs to make his mark as he entered the signature shoe game. 

17 / Puma x Pleasures Velophasis

Styled in silhouette much like the Triple S, the oversized Velophasis from Puma brought a more wearable, yet beefed up stance, to the concept of a late 90’s technical runner. The Pleasures edition, with its mix of pink and purple hues throughout the upper and overdyed midsole, pulled off my favorite pair of the assortment. I grabbed a pair and rocked them often.

16 / Nike Air Max 95 x Corteiz

It’s one thing to have a Nike collab that looks great. It’s another to cause a frenzy in a trio of global streetwear staple cities like New York, Paris and London. The Corteiz squad pulled it off, with on-the-fly, real-time launches taking place that brought some 90’s nostalgia to a modern era more entrapped with less memorable digital launches and Ls. When the eventual online launch got botched by bots buying up batches of pairs, the brand’s founder Clint cancelled all non-human orders, then re-released the inventory yet again, for real customers. An A+ move.

15 / Way of Wade 808 Ultra 3 

From a pure product design and construction standpoint, this was a damn impressive shoe. With carbon fiber discs along the heel, sharp molding throughout and a highly engineered drop-in insole, the elevated “Ultra” edition of this Way of Wade team shoe serves to highlight the strong design work that Li-Ning has been producing for years now. 

14 / Nike Kobe 6 “Reverse Grinch”

The greatest Christmas shoe ever saw a return this year, with a twist. Originally debuted by Anthony Davis a few years ago as just a PE, the “Reverse Grinch” shift on the iconic bright green and red Kobe classic from 2010 was once again a hit this holiday season, making for one of the highlight drops of the year. And yes, the original PE pair pictured above, with its slightly deeper shades of red throughout, was better.

13 / Oakley x Brain Dead Factory Team Edge Boot

Oakley has been quietly ramping up and on a run, both in streetwear and in sneakers. On the footwear side, much of their momentum can be attributed to their ongoing collection of drops with Brain Dead. While the Factory Team mules and neoprene slip ons have been sleepers, it’s the newly launched Edge Boot that went extra hard. The balance of ballistic mesh and suede atop the rugged bottom became one of my favorite looks of the year, and has me hyped to see what’s next in store for Oakley ahead. 

12 / Nike x NOCTA Glide 

I’m the biggest Zoom Flight 95 fan you’ll ever find. I think the black and carbon fiber edition is the greatest shoe of all time. And yet, I’m not a purist eager to hate on any and all new inspired silhouettes. Like the NOCTA Glide. Which are sick. With a new spherical take on the JKidd-led classic from nearly thirty years ago, Drake’s Nike Sportswear imprint pulled off a fire update. The model re-introduces the sculpted sidewall and carbon woven overlay to a new generation in a great way. 

11 / Tuff Crowd x Curry Brand

When Brandon Jennings became the first NBA player to sign with Under Armour at just 18, he took a risk. Now, it all came full circle for him, as his streetwear brand Tuff Crowd officially came back into the fold at UA for a full collaborative collection. In teaming up with his former Draft classmate and the company’s lifetime headliner, Stephen Curry, the tandem produced a Tuff Crowd x Curry Brand collection of footwear and clothes that was highlighted by the black and red Curry 11, along with an extra hard Flow Cozy. By introducing black Flow to Curry Brand, the Cozy became what I consider the brand’s best lifestyle silhouette to date.

10 / Adidas Crazy Infinity

As much as everyone loves original models like the KB8 and The Kobe, this new direction was much, much needed. With naming inspired by a subtle rotational nod to the number 8, the “Crazy Infinity” drew on all of the original slants and stance of Kobe Bryant’s Audi TT-inspired signature shoe from the turn of the millennium, but brought the styling into yet another forward-looking decade, with a zip shrouded upper and subtle tweaks throughout.

The shoe also represented a bit of a new path for the brand’s Basketball category, as the Crazy Infinity was rolled out along with Adidas’ “Remember The Why” campaign, looking to define the next chapter of hoops going forward.

9 / New Balance x Concepts 998 “C-Note”

One of the best themed sneakers ever saw a much-anticipated return this year, as Concepts’ tribute to the then-new $100 bill received the retro treatment a decade after its original release. The ways in which the longtime boutique layered in the different accents and hues of the Big Face Benjamin for a cohesive colorway made for one of the most well done executions of a… well…concept, we’ve ever seen. 

8 / MSCHF Big Red Boot

The sightings were sensational. From Shai in the tunnel, to Gramps, a WWE wrestler in the ring and perhaps the greatest footwear photo of the year — Hasbulla in a Nice Kicks hat — the completely ridiculous Big Red Boots entirely dominated the year. 

Yet another MSCHF production, the concept was born by bringing to life the cartoonish red boots worn by iconic anime figure Astro Boy, a deep cut if there ever was one. The outlandish roll out saw some seriously strong seeding, turning the trolling towering boots towards people actually wearing them.

7 / Nike x Cactus Plant Flea 2

I’ll be the first to admit — these are wild in person. While the Big Red Boots may have achieved preposterous proportions, ongoing Swoosh collaborator Cactus Plant Flea Market brought to life something also oversized and overdone, that still finds a manageable and wearable landing spot. Plus, the snap on patches are fun. I’ve been rocking the all black pair for a while now, and opted for the more subtle and smaller snap icons, rather than the stock, cartoonishly long Swoosh placement. But that’s what makes these so great — everyone can do their thing and bring their own touch to the bulky and clunky canvas that I came to really like in the last few months of the year since I got my hands on a pair.

6 / Air Jordan 11 “Ring Night” Jeff Green PE

One of the game’s longest-running and most respected role players finally received his “Ring Night” moment, as “Uncle Jeff” returned to Denver last month to officially celebrate the Nuggets title he helped contribute to earlier this summer. Along with a gleaming gold Air Jordan 17 PE, Jordan Brand made Green a chromed-out pair of Air Jordan 11s, featuring his #32 along the heel.

As a huge fan of chrome, these immediately made for one of the better PE unveils in recent years. 

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5 / Adidas Harden Vol. 7

This is the best James Harden shoe. In silver and black specifically, the shoe took on a swooping color block that worked great for on-court visibility, or a fresh look off the court. I ended up wearing them literally all year long. Not only was the design distinct and strong, but the shoe is also damn comfy, leading to dozens of Adidas athletes wearing them all season, during what was a great calendar year run for the 7th Volume of the Harden signature series. 

4 / Air Jordan 1 Low x Travis Scott 

Every “Cactus Jack” edition of the Air Jordan 1 has been a hit, but the subtle white, black and olive pair launched in April instantly became a ubiquitous sneaker to see in the wild. While safe in principle, the clean colorway will likely end up being one of the very best of the longstanding Scott co-signed pairs when we look back on the “Cactus Jack” chapter down the road. 

3 / Nike Zoom Vomero 5

The Vomero was everywhere. And for good reason. If someone placed any priority on comfort in their life, it was likely they were pulling out a pair of Vomeros at some point, for literally any setting.

2 / Adidas AE 1

Anthony Edwards’ first shoe is immediately a top ten Adidas Basketball signature shoe of all time. They’re right up there with the best of the Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and Derrick Rose lines that helped to define the decades of modern performance by the Three Stripes since the mid-90s. 

Designer Patrick Zempolich said the brand “wanted to create a confident shoe,” and they absolutely killed it. With a striking stance framed by a black collar and stark geometric pattern along the molded upper, the AE 1 made its mark right out the gate. The marketing campaign was equally confident. We’re just one colorway in, and already, the inaugural signature for the rising star has set the bar high for Anthony Edwards’ signature series from here. 

1 / Nike Sabrina 1 

Signature shoes for WNBA players have been long overdue for years now. Sabrina Ionescu not only introduced a signature model that immediately stood out on her feet, but the shoe quickly transcended to all ages, all backgrounds, all leagues — hitting on the “Anyone. Anywhere.” mantra and vision that Ionescu and Nike set out to achieve from the start.

Crafted in a familiar silhouette, the Romanian-inspired toe detailing, inner vertical-leaning Swoosh and dotted i bar along the heel made for a chef’s kiss of signature design touches.

Now a staple across the NBA, NCAA and high school hoops, the Sabrina 1 will also have a runway in an array of new colorways into the new year ahead, as players put together their own Nike By You colorways and Nike continues to pour its considerable marketing muscle behind a WNBA signature sneaker that has rightfully and deservedly made an impact in the footwear industry. 

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The post Nick DePaula’s Top Sneakers of 2023 appeared first on Boardroom.

This year, I made over 40 bets focused on things I predict will happen across the tech industry.

When Boardroom’s weekly newsletter, Tech Talk, got a makeover in February, I started making bets on happenings across the tech industry. “Michelai’s Bet of the Week Presented by FanDuel Sportsbook” holds space at the bottom of the newsletter, and it easily became my favorite place to share my real and sometimes unhinged tech hot takes.

Now, I wasn’t making any wagers or putting up money for these bets, but some came true, and some didn’t.

Here is a rundown of every bet I made this year on tech, with some small updates on the big ones that have had movements.

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February

• Feb. 12: Calling it now: Twitter’s verified badge pricing model will fall apart in the next year because people won’t care enough to pay for a blue check.
• Feb. 19: As the SEC cracks down on crypto, lawmakers will attempt to implement widespread crypto regulations within the next year.
• Feb. 26: After steady progress with AI-powered chatbots, there will be talks of at least one AI-scripted film at the Tribeca Film Festival this summer.
  • Unfortunately, this didn’t come true.

March

• March 5: Since Yuga Labs is the top household name in Web3, I predict that TwelveFold NFTs will sell out in four hours max when they drop.
  • TwelveFold NFTs sold out in minutes when the auction concluded on March 6.
• March 12: Since Meta plans to release three more headsets before 2027, I think the big tech company will knock those Quest prices down again before the year is up to make space in the market for the new products.
  • Meta knocked down the Meta Quest 2 price by $50 to $249, while the Meta Quest Pro is still $999.
• March 19: Even though lawmakers are scrutinizing President Joe Biden for not banning TikTok by now, I bet a deal will be reached very soon, and a complete barring of the social media won’t be necessary.
• March 26: If ByteDance puts a real deal on the table to sell TikTok, I’m going to bet that Oracle will arise as an early contender to buy the company.

April

• April 2: I’m going to go big here and say Twitter removing legacy blue checks will backfire tremendously, causing the platform to move back to a more traditional verification process.
  • After discontinuing the Legacy Blue Check program on April 20, X began reinstalling them on accounts for deceased individuals and many celebrities by April 24.
• April 9: I’m going to bet that NFT.NYC will look a lot different next year, or not happen at all since it’s really just a week of hundreds of community events that can run throughout the year.
• April 16: I’m going to bet that Adidas will follow in Nike and RTFKT’s steps and release some exclusive ALTS apparel tied to the blockchain.
• April 23: I’m going to bet that streaming platforms will not ban AI services from using copyrighted music in favor of imposing some restrictions instead.
• April 30: This is a big one, but I’m going to bet that Microsoft won’t be able to close its acquisition deal with Activision Blizzard this year.
  • This is probably the biggest bet I lost on this year since Microsoft closed the deal in October.

May

• May 7: Super hot take alert: I’m going to bet that more tech workers will push to unionize in the coming years as AI continues to disrupt the workforce.
• May 14: Since Twitter/X Corp is getting a new CEO, I’m going to bet that investors will begin talking about how to buy Musk out to push him out of the company.
• May 21: I am going to confidently bet that Montana’s TikTok ban will not hold up. I’m sure the ACLU is already drafting a lawsuit to detail how this ban violates freedom of speech.
  • In November, a federal judge blocked Montana’s TikTok ban from going into effect.
• May 28: Following FaZe Clan’s latest round of layoffs, I’m going to bet that the once-beloved esports brand is going to file for bankruptcy or merge with another company pretty soon.
  • Texas-based esports company GameSquare Holdings inked a deal in October to acquire Faze Clan.

June

• June 4: This seems like a no-brainer, but since AI leaders are warning that AI will overtake humans in the future, I’m going to bet that investors, consumers, and maybe even Congress will begin to question what they are actually building.
• June 11: After watching Meta knock down its Quest Pro price by $500, I’m going to bet that Apple will chip a little off the Vision Pro’s expensive price tag before the device goes to market later this year.
  • Unfortunately, this didn’t come true.
• June 18: After finally watching Ready Player One for the first time (I know, I’m sorry) following the film’s tech comparisons to Apple’s new AR headset, I’m going to bet that streams of the movie will skyrocket as Apple shares more of its plans.
• June 25: Since President Joe Biden met with AI experts this week, I’m going to bet that we’ll see some joint AI regulations in the near future before we see any real crypto regulations.

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July

• July 2: Google seems to be a bit confused about how to build around emerging technologies right now, and after its recent job cuts at Waze, I’m going to bet we will see another big staffing restructure at the company in the next year.
  • Google cut at least 40 jobs in its news division in October, but no big restructuring.
• July 9: Since there has been fodder about OpenAI getting acquired by Microsoft in its lifetime, I’m going to bet that we’ll see rumors of a deal on the table in the next year after the big tech giant sorts out its Activision Blizzard merger deal.
• July 16: While everyone is focused on generative AI, I always think about humanoids, aka robots. I’m going to bet that a new robotics and AI company building bots will arise soon.
• July 23: Since Amazon is bringing its pay-by-palm tech to all Whole Foods stores by the end of the year, I’m going to bet that another company will do the same with iris tech. (Kind of surprised Amazon didn’t try that first!)
• July 30: I’m going to bet that Xbox will end up selling its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-inspired pizza-scented controllers after Aug. 13. For now, fans can only grab one as part of a marketing campaign to promote Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem film.
  • Unfortunately, this didn’t come true.

August

• Aug. 6: An unopened, first-generation Apple iPod sold for $29,000 via Rally this week, and I’m going to bet that, unlike cassette and CD players, these devices will continue to hold high value due to extreme scarcity.
• Aug. 13: Despite the Detroit Police Department’s trouble with facial recognition tech, I’m going to bet that more law enforcement agencies will adopt the tech, leading to more false arrests.
• Aug. 20: VinFast will go the way of Rivian, facing an extreme challenge (and plummeting stock prices) as it is unable to keep up with the sky-high demand for its EV offerings.
• Aug. 27: Despite the desirable $130 price point, I’m going to strongly bet that the new Atari 2600+ dropping in November won’t sell even half the units that the Atari 2600 sold, which was about 30 million.
  • The console just released a month ago, so sales numbers haven’t been reported yet.

September

• Sept. 3: Amazon is pushing forward with its return-to-office policy, requiring employees to report to an office three days a week, just as Meta recently implemented. I’m going to bet that tech workers will begin to push back on Big Tech companies to fight the crackdown on in-office policies in favor of remote work.
• Sept. 10: Warner Music Central Europe signed a record deal with AI pop singer Noonoouri, and while this is a first for Warner Music, I’m going to bet that we won’t see a deal of this nature in the US anytime soon.
• Sept. 17: With Hulu and Disney Plus price hikes on the way next month, I’m going to bet that a tech company like Roku, for example, will offer a bundle deal of all the major streaming platforms in the next year. It’s like we’re headed back to the cable era of television all over again.
• Sept. 24: Snapchat+ hit a new milestone with 5 million paying subscribers, and while this is impressive, I’m going to bet that the subscription program will see a massive dip in interest by next summer.

October

• Oct. 1: Samsung is targeting content creators through a new sponsorship with MrBeast. I’m going to bet that this deal won’t drive significant sales for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 as the mobile brand expects it to.
• Oct. 8: Meta is testing a $14-a-month subscription service in the UK for users who want an advertisement-free Instagram or Facebook experience. TikTok is also internationally testing a similar feature for $4.99 a month. Since social networks don’t operate like streaming services, I’m going to bet that this offering won’t thrive in the US.
• Oct. 15: Joby Aviation Founder JoeBen Bevirt said his company can deliver on launching a commercial air taxi service in 2025. We didn’t get flying cars in 2000 as promised, so I’m going to bet that flying taxis won’t arrive in 2025 or this decade.
• Oct. 22: After years of delays, Tesla will reportedly start delivering its much-anticipated Cybertruck vehicle to select customers on Nov. 30. I’m going to place a hot bet that we’ll see at least one recall or some sort of design change on the luxury electric SUV before the year is up.
  • Unfortunately, this didn’t happen for the Cybertruck, but Tesla did do a big recall of 2 million of its flagship vehicles recently.
• Oct. 29: Shazam, the music identification app owned by Apple, announced a new feature called Concerts, which will recommend music events to customers based on their Shazam queries. With this expansion, I’m going to bet that Shazam will add a concert ticket-purchasing feature as well, or maybe Apple will build its own internal ticket sales tech.

Everything You Need to Know About the Tesla Cybertruck

The Tesla Cybertruck has officially entered the automotive market, so Boardroom breaks down what to expect from the new electric-powered vehicle, now and in the future.

Check it out!

November

• Nov. 5: The Information reported that TikTok users sent over $250 million to livestreamers on the platform by way of tips and digital gifts. With the potential to generate tipping revenue, I’m going to bet that TikTok Live will give other platforms like Twitch a run for their audiences pretty soon.
• Nov. 12: Despite Epic Games losing in a similar antitrust case with Apple back in 2021, I’m going to bet that the video game developer will prevail with a few wins in its antitrust trial against Google since the Big Tech giant is fighting multiple court battles right now.
  • This was my biggest win on a bet of the year since Epic Games prevailed against Google on all fronts.
• Nov. 19: Indie studio A24 was granted the rights to make a movie based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk. I can’t pinpoint who I think will play the controversial tech tycoon, but I am going to bet that Musk will put his bid in to play himself in the highly-anticipated film.
• Nov. 26: Elon Musk confirmed that Grok will be available to all X Premium+ subscribers as soon as next week, but I’m going to bet that he’ll expand the AI chatbot to more consumers by Q1 2024 to compete with other AI chatbots on the market.

December

• Dec. 3: Lapse, a photo-sharing app that skyrocketed from No. 118 to No. 1 in Apple’s App Store in September, saw downloads drop as much as 70% in recent months. I’m going to bet that we’ll see an uptick in activity once Lapse opens up invites to the masses instead of only allowing users to join by invite codes from friends.
• Dec. 10: I recently shared some of my crypto predictions for 2024, and while I predicted that Bitcoin would break the $40,000 threshold in the new year, it already did that. I want to up that prediction and bet that Bitcoin will break the $50,000 threshold before May.
• Dec. 17: Nearly 20% of teens said they are almost constantly visiting or using YouTube and TikTok, a new report by the Pew Research Center found. As more kids get online to learn, play, and create, I’m going to bet that that figure will double by this time next year.

Be sure to subscribe to Tech Talk to stay current on all my Bets of the Week — right and wrong — heading into 2024.

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The Sneaker Game is our sneaker industry newsletter packed with exclusive news and access to the athletes, designers, and executives that move the business. Every other week, Boardroom’s Nick DePaula answers your most burning questions about the indusry.

Let’s go back in the bag to revisit some of our favorite questions so far.

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We’ve seen both Puma and New Balance re-enter the hoops space and have real, tangible success in the last five years, but that’s with the infrastructure and foundation of decades of company heritage, of course. What I think Jaylen Brown was alluding to on Sneaker Shopping was the notion of launching his own brand. 

Creating and building a footwear brand from scratch is exceptionally hard. I would love to see Jaylen try it. Brown essentially played the last two NBA seasons for free, wearing a variety of Nike’s Kobe and GT Cut models on-court, with customized updates and without any deal in place. 

I estimate his market value to be in the $1.5-4 million per year range, should he sign a traditional shoe deal with an established brand. He also just locked in a $304 million extension with the Celtics, so shoe deal money might be the least of his worries going forward. For a few seasons now, he’s been pursuing and pushing his own apparel brand, 7uice.

Since the Ball brothers’ Big Baller Brand launched in 2017, players of all tiers have considered releasing their own self-published signature shoe. To staff a full team tasked with handling design, marketing, development, and the full scope of what it means to manage a sneaker brand — even if for just one single shoe potentially dubbed the 7uice Jaylen 1s — I’d estimate that yielding a $5-10 million cost, if done right. That’s before even taking into account the upfront factory sampling and production run costs to maintain an inventory pipeline for future seasons. 

It’d be a huge, huge undertaking to operate in a way that could produce staying power, which is why we’ve seen similar startup attempts in the past (Big Baller Brand, Starbury, Protege, etc.) come and go. That said, and I think this goes without saying, Jaylen is a confident dude and has the exact blend of pride, curiosity, and interest level in the industry to try and pursue a project as daunting as this. 

Brown boasts a lot of great qualities that sneaker headliners often hold. A two-time All-Star already at the age of 27, he should be a mainstay during the annual showcase game, as he continues to navigate his career while playing for a contending team. He’s also often outspoken on issues and causes he finds important, and is one of the league’s top 20 most-followed players on Instagram.

Throw in the fact that Jaylen has developed a relationship with one of the footwear industry’s more revered designers, Steven Smith, who has crafted classics with brands such as New Balance, Reebok, Nike, and Yeezy during his career that’s been runnin’ since the ’80s, and Brown seemingly has many options on the table. I’m expecting an update from Jaylen’s end as we get closer to All-Star Weekend in the new year.

This was no doubt a really tough decision by Nike. And it happened around a year ago towards the end of 2022. 

Entering last season, Paul George was coming off three consecutive seasons where he played an average of just 44 games per year and battled an ongoing stretch of injuries. The Clippers’ success was simultaneously reliant on both George and Kawhi Leonard’s availability, with the team missing the playoffs in 2022. 

With Ja Morant and Devin Booker already in the product pipeline to enter the signature fold in 2023 and beyond, the decision came to halt the Paul George series, as his prior signature shoe deal was set to expire in October of 2022.

Nonetheless, the PG series has routinely been one of the most-worn current Nike Basketball silhouettes, with more than 80 total players lacing up the PG 6 across each of the last NBA and WNBA seasons, according to KixStats.com.

With his prior shoe deal set to expire last fall, Nike and George eventually landed on a new long-term extension toward the end of 2022, with the understanding that the PG 6 would be his final signature shoe and he’d evolve into a featured brand ambassador role going forward.

Ever since, he’s stuck to a rotation of past PG models like the 1, 2, and 6, along with a few different Kobe models like the recent 4 and 8 Protro pairs. There were conversations around PG headlining the high-level GT Cut series down the road, and potentially even retroing a revamped version of the PG 1.

Since the extension, to his credit, PG has been both available and impactful for a Clippers team that is now a serious contender. His really well done “Podcast P” show has also provided a new lane for him to be showcasing Nike’s latest products.

At the time of the decision, George’s six signature models made him only the sixth player in Nike history to have a series extend that far while actively playing. His successful run places him alongside only LeBron, KD, Kobe, Kyrie, and Charles Barkley as the longest-standing Swoosh signature series. Although impactful Nike icons, Penny Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Gary Payton, and Vince Carter each didn’t make it to a sixth model while playing. 

The PG series should be looked back at fondly for its ability to be adopted by players of all positions across all levels of hoops, while offering up clean designs at an affordable price point along the way. I also always liked how the Swooshes on his shoes faced opposite directions, as a nod to his Hall of Fame-level, two-way play on the court. 

Comped products are indeed precisely written into a player’s contract. Depending on the tier of player, some contracts include anywhere from a $10,000 budget in a merchandise allotment to as much as $200,000 in “merch.” The product prices that players spend are “at retail value.”

In looking through one former signature athlete’s contract, the player’s merch allotment broke down into two buckets: $75,000 toward product and $100,000 specifically toward one’s “Camp / Foundation / Community events.” That’s for each year of the deal.

Almost every signature athlete utilizes their product budget to buy sneakers for charitable donations. During the pandemic, we saw Luka Dončić buy and donate 100 pairs of Jordans for local Texas hospital workers from his budget. 

Brands will also “seed” specific shoes and clothes ahead of strategic launch dates that they hope the players will wear for arena arrivals or help promote on their social channels. Those pairs don’t count against their product budget. 

Typically, the merch budgets will run from September to September and don’t roll over into the next season. Years back, a friend of mine had a Nike contract with a $25,000 annual budget. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it situation.

Nike’s “Elite” website portal log-in for athletes would mirror the current Nike.com website, where you can place online orders with your remaining budget allowance. This is where his mom, friends, and family would log on to place their orders. 

After the season ended in the spring, he’d look to spend the remaining budget on shoes and clothes that he could give out as prizes at his annual summer camp. Each August, he’d let his high school coach go wild and order shoes and gear for current players on the team back home with the remaining budget. 

Some brands grant players ridiculously high budgets and would seem almost impossible to fully spend. However, a five-figure merch budget — or higher — is just one of the many perks layered into shoe contracts.

When Joel Embiid signed on with Under Armour in 2018, both sides had big expectations. The reigning MVP was just up I-95 from the Baltimore-based brand, and the 76ers had taken a turn from The Process toward being a perennial contending team. Joel was also a master at going viral, both on Twitter and Instagram, whenever he felt like pressing send. 

That all changed, however, shortly after he signed what was then a five-year deal that made him the highest paid sneaker endorser at the center position. Embiid’s social media presence became more sporadic and strategic. His first signature shoe launched in the Fall of 2020, which was unfortunate timing during the height of the pandemic. The shoe sold far below projections — as gyms were closed and people weren’t exactly playing basketball at the time — and the series was halted on the spot during what was a time of serious marketplace uncertainty.

Skeptics questioned the partnership from the moment of the deal’s initial announcement, wondering — as usual — if a “big man could sell shoes.” Ultimately, maybe the adage held true, but there were also other marketplace factors at play. The two sides just couldn’t find a way to maximize the alliance during what was a difficult period, as all brands saw declining sneaker sales. 

In the fourth season since the bubble debut of his signature line, Embiid has continued to wear the first and only Embiid shoe. The HOVR Havoc 4 that he briefly wore in early 2022, was actually initially the Embiid Two, but was later re-named and framed as a team shoe, stripped of its signature positioning.

Under Armour instead subtly updated the Embiid One for him, switching out the rubber outsole for a Flow traction bottom on both the white / gold and blue-based pairs. This season, Embiid appears to have touched up his kicks, specifically painting over the UA logo along the heel, now that he’s out of contract.
 
Embiid’s deal with Under Armour expired last month on Oct. 1, meaning Embiid is now a sneaker free agent. Despite clearly being one of the best players in the world, a MVP frontrunner this season and an expected Olympian next summer in Paris for Team USA, the market has been much more flat this time around.

Rumblings emerged that his eventual next deal will be announced in the coming months, potentially ahead of All-Star Weekend. His custom Size 17 shoes require a great deal of modifications for his 7-foot frame, but we should be seeing his next, new brand partnership, unveiled soon.

If you have a question you’d like to see answered in a future mailbag, send it on Twitter — @NickDePaula. 

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‘Hybrid work’ has multiple meanings in 2023.

For the most influential icons in pop culture, it means making moves and making bank in industries or arenas non-native to what made them famous. This past year, said partnerships took new shapes and took new heights.

From Travis Scott taking over the country club to Taylor Swift becoming the biggest name in football, 2023’s bingo card was more bizarre and brilliant than any analyst could’ve predicted.

To celebrate the year that just was, Boardroom breaks down eight of the biggest crossover moments in culture and commerce that defied expectations and creatively paved new ways for how icons operate in business.

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Pharrell’s Ascension at Louis Vuitton

When business was done on Blackberriess and Motorola Two-Way Pagers, high fashion was already calling Pharrell Williams.

Buzzed by Marc Jacobs — then creative director at Louis Vuitton — the musical multi-hyphenate was chosen to collaborate on a range of Millionaire sunglasses. Twenty years later, a new lens at LVMH finds Pharrell as the fearless leader for the heralded house.

Following the footsteps of the late, great Virgil Abloh, Pharrell’s appointment as LV leadership speaks to many shifts since his mid-aughts shades.

The rise of American — and African American — design directors at European luxury brands has been bubbling over the last decade, with Pharrell leading a list that still needs to grow.

Importantly, the appointment aligns with a more connected world where fashion and culture are less separated by hue or hemisphere.

Additionally, it erases the stigma that ‘celebrity’ is indignant to high fashion, proving all arts are the arts.

Always having an ear for what’s next sonically, Pharrell’s feel for what’s next aesthetically has positioned him as an ideal figurehead for where Louis Vuitton is now and where it’s going.

His ability to see past gender and genre has already led to creative campaigns, spot-on seedings, and an introductory show soundtracked by The Clipse.

Just as Abloh knew the symbiotic relationship between music and fashion far better than pattern-cutting or a Central Saint Martin’s degree could’ve got him, Pharrell’s exposure to creatives of all ilks is reshaping a $407 billion brand at the speed of sound.

The Family Business of Rihanna & A$AP Rocky

Bad Girl RiRi and Pretty Flacko have been making babies and millions for the past two years.

All the while, fans of each artist anxiously await albums with no release date in sight for either. Nevertheless, the two touted musicians have made more noise than most despite the power couple releasing fewer singles than almost all.

Simply put, it’s in their genes — or rather, their jeans.

In 2023, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky dominated headlines and affected bottom lines by both how they dress and the way they dress. Historically, no two artists have been better at mixing high and low fashion in the most influential of manners.

The same can be said for the deals, moments, and moves they make as a power couple.

Example: Rihanna performed two times in 2023: the Super Bowl Halftime Show and the Oscars. At half field, draped in Loewe and Alaïa, the stage and apparel were both mass and avant-garde all at once. The medley of hits was enough to skyrocket streams, sell collaborations, and roll out the red carpet for a return to PUMA.

That same energy is epitomized by her proud partner. While fans didn’t get Don’t Be Dumb in 2023, Rocky’s lone music video for the Pharrell-produced “RIOT” doubled down as a creative campaign for Beats by Dre. The meme-inspired visual was vanguard per usual, once again proving that Rocky’s release method and partnership approach are always off-kilter. This proved poetic when a series of paparazzi photos involving the PMF was reappropriated as a campaign for Bottega Veneta.

So, will 2024 see new music or new children for Rihanna and Rocky? That remains unknown. What we can expect from both is high-level PUMA partnerships that span fútbol to Formula 1, more money from FENTY and Gucci, and visual moments – both candid and campaign – that move the needle as much or more than record residuals will.

AIR Hits a Critical Mass

When word got out that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were making a movie about Nike courting Michael Jordan, the jury was hung among sneakerheads and casuals as if it’d be any good.

Surprise, surprise, it was awesome.

Amassing a 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and critical acclaim, AIR rose to the ranks of one of the most loved movies of 2023.

By investing heavily in casting and set design, the sneaker story served as a time machine back to the ’80s that was fun, fast, and just accurate enough. It appealed to fanatics and average watchers alike, casting a wide net despite being what was once considered a niche story.

Audience aside, AIR also made its mark in how it was released. Scoring well at SXSW, the $90 million project was shown at major theatres in an era where only Marvel movies are meant to perform. Additionally, Amazon streaming support provided another income and viewing lane.

Like The Last Dance, another wrinkle in the Michael Jordan legacy provided even more energy to shoe sales in a halo sense as Jordan Brand eclipsed $6.6 billion in its most recent fiscal report.

Nike Basketball’s NYC Takeover

Events and apparel are seemingly where the money is at in 2023.

Nike — the world’s most famous footwear brand — may not be selling out arenas but they are going big where IRL moments are concerned. From pop-up activations across the world to grassroots sweat sessions in major markets, the Swoosh knows that to matter most to its core customers they have to exist more than just online.

Ironically enough, the 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival was the exclamation point and antithesis of it all.

Hosting hoops’ next generation of boys and girls in tournament play in the Big Apple, the $186 billion brand built a hardwood court in front of the Lincoln Center, showcasing the past, present, and future of basketball products while streaming the games.

Though the action on the court was worth watching in person, it was one viral moment online that set it all off.

Taking a photo for the ages, the likes of Kevin Durant, Victor Wembanyama, Dawn Staley, Travis Scott, Devin Booker, Rakim, Dirk Nowitzki, Scoop Jackson, Jason Kidd, Chase B, Lil Yachty, Sue Bird, Ja Morant, Jadakiss, and dozens of other legends all posed on center court.

It was a moment no one saw coming, bringing together decades of influential figures in hoops, hip-hop, and culture in one marquee event.

At a time when advertising feels like a lost art, Nike just did it in the most meta of ways.

Taylor Swift Sweeps the Nation

Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.

If that’s the case, then Taylor Swift is the truth.

Hate it or love it, the country kid turned pop princess is the queen of selling out stadiums and making money off of music. She continues to crush physical sales at a time when even the biggest acts attain pennies off streams. The Eras Tour sold out more dates in the Superdome than the Saints did this season, set to amass even more money internationally in 2024.

While the music and theatrics were already enough to break the bank and amplify economies in every market she stopped at, the entire world stopped when America’s Sweetheart became entrenched in America’s Game.

Already infamous for dating A-list actors and Grammy Award-winning musicians, fans and bystanders collectively lost their minds when Swift began dating Travis Kelce. From a ratings standpoint, everyone ate — especially the star subject.

In today’s fragmented media landscape, most artists only own the timeline the day their album drops. Taylor on the other hand had national outlets covering her every move in a year where she only put out reissued releases.

Not too mention, it was all an encore to a $1 billion tour. Think selling out stadiums is impressive? Imagine making more noise nationally when appearing in the stands. Think the merch margins are good? Consider casually wearing a pair of New Balance 550s and stores selling out their stock.

When looking back at all the partnerships in 2023, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, or rather Taylor Swift x NFL, is about as big as it gets.

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Harlem Beats Bristol

Active athletes, retired rappers, and C-list comedians all have podcasts in 2023.

What few of them have is a studio show that positions them as pundits in a field they didn’t find fame in. In Feb. 2023, Cam’ron and Mase made a lane all their own in launching It Is What Is: an independently-produced sports’ news talk show that’s already incited a bidding war among buyers and a frenzy online.

By flipping the formula of First Take and Undisputed, Killa Cam and Murda Ma$e are giving fans exactly what they want but network TV could never provide: uncensored commentary cut with humor and context.

Rather than yell at each other for ratings or ride an agenda for acceptance, the Children of the Corn turned men on the mic are telling it like it is. Approaching half a million followers for the show’s IG account and the Come Talk 2 Me YouTube channel in less than ten months, the “Horse & Carriage” collaborators continue to rise to the top.

Music’s Superstars Takeover the Silver Screen

Superheroes and sequels are the surest things smoking when it comes to burning down the box office.

In 2023, another earner entered the chat: concert films.

Both Taylor Swift and Beyoncé rocked arenas all year long, creating commerce in every city they stopped in. While members of the Beyhive were known to budget thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and outfits to see Mrs. Carter live, the long tail effect for those in attendance or living vicariously through social media was the return of the concert film.

This year, both Bey and Swift broke the bank by turning footage from their acclaimed tours to box office gold. Just the same, Travis Scott reverse-engineered the process by releasing a movie in accordance with his UTOPIA album as a means to set the stage for his CIRCUS MAXIMUS Tour.

Truth be told, the concept of a concert film had been around long before Beyoncé, Taylor, or Travis were born. However, the new stars putting a new spin on the old concept is a new business and perhaps a new precedent. Expect this trend to continue on the road, in theaters, and on streaming.

Cactus Jack Jumps into the Country Club

From Fortnite to Happy Meals, Travis Scott’s bread and butter in recent years has been feeding the youth collaborative product that applied his taste to consumer goods and experiences.

This year, Day 1 fans and new attendees to the party got their fix from concerts to clothing, music to movies. While the annual Air Jordan activations appealed to kids and adults alike, Travis’ most momentous collaborations in 2023 were targeted to a much more mature audience than those of previous years.

As a Nike partner, Travis parlayed his influence outside of the moshpit to take on tennis classics and golf spikes. From volleying with John McEnroe to taking swing lessons from Brooks Koepka, La Flame is slowly blazing a trail in markets saturated in wealth and staying power.

This timely ascent all came to a head in December by way of the Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: a $201,000 watch limited to 200 units. By adding collaborative cool to AP and amplifying it all with slightly more attainable merch, Travis proved that he could sell sneakers, sandwiches, and Swiss timepieces all in a matter of minutes.

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What do Kris Kringle, firefighters, and Kevin Durant all have in common?

They work on Christmas.

Since becoming an All-Star starter and NBA scoring champ, the league has leveraged KD as a mainstay for their marquee action each Dec. 25. This holiday season, Kevin will be partaking in his eleventh Christmas Day game.

The trend began in 2010 when the then-22-year-old talent led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a home win over the Denver Nuggets.

Playing in front of 18,000 fans in OKC and millions more on TV, Durant dominated all adversaries by dropping 44 points — the highest scoring total league-wide on the NBA’s biggest day of the year.

While KD stood out on the court and in box scores, his shoes shined even more. Debuting the Nike KD3 “Christmas” in his breakout performance, the bright yellow sneakers stamped Durant’s performance as not only a face of the league but a luminary at Nike.

Ascending as a priority at the Beaverton brand with his first signature shoe in 2008, Durant climbed the ladder at Nike each season through play and personality. It all exploded in 2010 when he opened the year with his whole roster in “Creamsicle” kicks, amplified to another level that August when he led Team USA to Gold in Turkey.

The success was christened in December when Durant formally found himself alongside Kobe Bryant and LeBron James as a member of the basketball brand’s Big Three.

The 2010 Nike Basketball “Stoplight” Pack positioned LeBron, KD, and Kobe as the crème de la crème of personality-driven performance footwear. It solidified Durant as a priority for Nike’s broader basketball business for years to come.

“It shows that he’s arrived,” Charles Terrell, then Pro Basketball Nike Field Representative, told Nick DePaula in 2010. “It’s kind of his coming out party. It’s our way of launching him internally and saying, ‘Hey, he’s our guy, and he’s prominent on holidays too.’”

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Playing off Christmas colors and inordinate drive, the LeBron 8 V2 “Run On Red,” KD3 “No Yield For Yellow,” and Kobe 6 “Green Means Go” all added to the seasonal excitement by branding basketball shoes as a Christmas gift in an on the nose sense.

In reality, it was a two-pronged play for the best marketing company in the world. Not only would the NBA’s elite debut Christmas colorways on national TV, but fans could grab or gift the same shoes as a sentimental moment.

In short order, the shoes sold out, with KD’s Yuletide yellow pair appearing under trees and on courts around the globe.

In the long run, it was a tipping point moment for a Golden Era of hardwood heat.

Although the shoes were meant to move, Nike Basketball likely didn’t expect that the coveted Christmas sneakers would hold the high ground in footwear folklore all year long and for decades to come. What they were acutely aware of was the momentum said shoes would start all season long surrounding signature shoes.

Basketball season was no longer tied to tryouts and summer camps. Rather, there were moments to celebrate all year long.

In a sense, the 2010 Nike Basketball “Stoplight” Pack set a precedent for aligning athletes on All-Star activations, Black History Month makeups, Easter iterations, and countless colorways for years to come.

For the first time since the mid-90s, Nike Basketball had the market in an absolute chokehold. The front half of the 2010s saw the Swoosh creating coveted classics that not only rose to the occasion on the court but created instant clout through casual crossover.

Over the last dozen years, the Nike KD3 “Christmas” has remained relevant and revered in OG form thanks to its rarity and aesthetic.

High-level hoopers on both sides of the ball — and in the tunnel — have dusted off the 2010 take when the lights get the brightest.

Household names from PJ Tucker to Tyler Herro have brought out original pairs to acclaim on League Fits and Kicks on Court alike. Each time a player pops up with the coveted KDs, those unable to pay resale rates or tirelessly dig in the crates start salivating over the chance of a retro release.

This holiday season, our wishes are granted as the Nike KD3 Retro “Christmas” will launch for the first time.

Following in the footsteps of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Green Means Go” — better known as the “Grinch” — the KD3 Retro offers a second chance at one of basketball’s best stocking stuffers.

Paving the way for nearly a half dozen “Christmas” KDs to follow, the “No Yield For Yellow” KD3 set the pace for Kevin Durant’s ascent as a face of the NBA and Nike Basketball — a mantle he’s held for the last 12 years.

In the time since the 2010 original, Durant has won two NBA Championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, and one NBA MVP. Off the court, he’s signed a lifetime contract with Nike and is already on his 16th signature model.

While his first Christmas Day Game positioned him as basketball’s best scorer and Nike’s new kid on the block, he’s kept that same energy every season since.

As this Christmas approaches, Kevin Durant is an early MVP candidate on the court and a major player in the sportswear industry in both performance and retro sneaker markets.

It’s all accolades and a status he carries at age 35 in Phoenix, starring each night for the Suns while moonlighting as a media mogul at Boardroom and executive producer for Drake.

It’s a life KD couldn’t imagine when dropping 44 points in his Christmas Day debut, let alone when opening up Christmas gifts as a kid in DC.

This holiday season is also a second chance on a Christmas classic most footwear fans thought would never return.

The Nike KD3 Retro “Christmas” is back now at select Nike Basketball accounts and on SNKRS.

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The post The Nike KD3 ‘Christmas’ Retro Revival appeared first on Boardroom.

I will never forget this moment. It was the first week of September. I was at the Whole Foods in Williamsburg, per usual, waiting in line to get my morning coffee. 

And that’s when I spotted her. 

She was in line, checking out. A woman just minding her business — but right away, I noticed the black shorts with the swooping ‘x’ design lines on the side. The Swoosh on the left. And the “S” logo — my “S” logo — on the right. 

I didn’t say anything, and I just watched. But I was just in awe that, here was this woman at the grocery store, and she was wearing my signature Nike shorts, the first week that they dropped.

I wanted to know her story. I was wondering, “Who are you?” I almost wanted a picture with her. I just couldn’t stop staring. 

It was the first time I saw someone outside my team or my family repping Sabrina gear. The feeling was just surreal. It made this whole journey toward getting a signature line that people all over could get their hands on feel … real.

Earlier in the summer, in May, I had another surreal moment.

I was walking through the tunnel at Barclays, but clearly, this wasn’t just another game. It was our first Liberty home game of the season, and the first game where I debuted my Sabrina 1 signature shoe. There was just a buzz that’s hard to describe from the moment we first announced my shoe in March and all throughout the summer. 

That buzz followed me right into the arena that day. If you look at the pics of me walking in, I was stopping to pose, and it was probably the biggest smile I’ve ever had in the tunnel. Walking in, holding the shoes, I could just sense the excitement from everyone, for me. 

There was just this hype and smile from everyone ’cause we all knew what this moment really meant — not just for myself — but for the sport. 

Getting your own signature shoe in the WNBA is a big deal, and I understood the magnitude of all of this from the start.

I know the numbers — only 11 players in 27 years have come before me. It’s one of the highest honors in our game and something beyond humbling to be a part of.

There will be more women that follow, and there’s going to be more W signature shoes. Soon. 

I really feel like the shoes are creating this space of equality within basketball. As I was lacing up my shoe in the locker room for the first time, I could feel the emotions and the pride all really sink in. 

Once I ran out to the court, I felt like I was flying.

The grey “Ionic” colorway just looked so clean on the dark hardwood at Barclays. I couldn’t stop looking down at my feet during the layup lines.

All the feels hit me at once. From the rebounders to the attendants to the fans on the sideline going crazy, being able to see everyone and share that moment together was just amazing. 

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That day, and every day since, there’s just this feeling of awe, to be honest, of being able to play a game in my own sneaker. I felt rooted in the shoe, knowing what it stood for and the story I wanted to tell.

Trust me: Keeping a signature shoe — one of your biggest dreams — a secret from your family for an entire year was hard. 

Even after the shoe was officially announced, I don’t think my family really knew what a signature shoe was. They probably thought it was just another shoe I got from Nike, like the PEs that I had before with the GT Cuts. 

I remember handing out the shoes to my family for the first time. They had this look on their faces, like, “Wait, this is different.“

My name is on the shoe and my name is on the box. Our name is on the shoe and on the box. 

I showed them how the toe texture is inspired by Romanian art patterns. How the bar from the “S” logo on the tongue wraps around the shoe and ends as a dotted “i” on the heel.

How the upward Swoosh on the inside means you can break through any barriers. There are so many details that we poured into these. They could just feel the pride and purpose that went into this whole process.

Being able to tell my parents the names of the other WNBA players who have been signature athletes and how my name is up there now was an amazing moment for our family. We’re talking elite company — the legends of the game. 

My parents go into stores now and take pictures at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nike and text me the photos right away. For them, I can’t imagine what they’re feeling, just knowing what they came to the United States to try and accomplish as a family here. Being able to see the fruits of their labor come to life, has probably been beyond what they ever dreamed of. 

I have two brothers, and I knew how excited they were to wear the shoes. My fiancé Hroniss is a football player, and he’s in his size 15s all the time. He has the entire Raiders team in them, too.

Having that intersection with sports has been super important for me. I wanted to tap into having a shoe that can make everyone feel alive.

It’s been funny these last couple of months ‘cause there is nobody from my family or my fiancé’s family that is not in Sabrina gear or Sabrina shoes … to everything that we go to.

It’s like a 30-person Romanian mob that walks around, all reppin’! 

They weren’t there for the opening of the Nike Soho store takeover in New York, though, and I wasn’t supposed to be either. There was an official appearance scheduled for the following week, but I just couldn’t wait any longer.

I was told they were making the whole first floor of the store “a Sabrina floor,” and I’m telling you, it was unbelievable.

I went the first day.

I tried to go undercover, though, with my hair down, rockin’ a simple fit. Not in basketball shorts, which helps sometimes.

I walked through there, and was recording it all and felt like a kid in a candy store. I was checking out the mannequin hoopers that had all of the Sabrina pieces on. The No. 20 Liberty jerseys were on display, and fans were waiting in line to buy a pair of MY shoes. I just sat back, soaked it all in, and watched how amazing that moment was.

Nike being able to create that atmosphere and that environment for one shoe was something that I’d never seen before. The way they showcased the shoe, had different design sketches, and had the technology within it like the Zoom Air highlighted, was amazing.

Having that whole floor dedicated to me was something that I’ll never forget.

And yup, as you probably guessed, my cover got blown pretty quickly.

I guess that’s what happens when your face was on just about every store sign in there. It didn’t take long for people in the store to be like, “Hey, wait a minute. I’ve seen this face before.”

It didn’t last very long, but I tried my best to be in the moment. And I’m not even kidding, I tried to recreate that feeling as much as I could, going back to the store whenever I was nearby to check it out again. I just couldn’t help it.

Obviously, my first game in the Sabrina 1s was a day I’ve been looking forward to for a while now. But there was another date on the calendar I couldn’t wait for — my kids’ basketball camp back in Eugene.

On the first day of camp, a little boy that I’ve known since he was a baby ran right up to me. His dad works at Oregon’s Academic Center, and he came to all of my games during my four years there.

Here he was, running my way at The SI20 camp in Eugene, screaming out…

“I’m getting your shoes for my new basketball season!” 

The smile and excitement on his face was crazy. Here’s this kid, waiting for his opportunity to get my shoes for his new season. I remember like it was yesterday — that would be me. And now, I’m on the other side, which is an indescribable feeling.

There’s a connection that you have with your shoes as you go through your school season. You’re not changing in and out of shoes like we do as pros; you’re in that shoe for the whole season. You always want to pick right.

There were some young girls at the camp in the t-shirt, the shorts, and the shoes. They were trying to look like me and trying to dress like me, while also representing themselves.

Just having that full-circle moment was everything. These young kids grew up watching me at Oregon, and now I’m able to come back and have them in one of my camps. It just gave me chills.

To see them playing in the shoes that I play in is more important than anything else.

To go from my camp and seeing young boys and girls in the Sabrina 1s, to now watching NBA games every night has been another one of those all-time moments.

I’m not gonna lie – every NBA game that’s on, that’s all I’m watching for. Who’s wearing my shoes? Who’s got ’em on? Every game, I just look for the vertical Swoosh that’s on the inside of the shoe.

It stands out, and so far, I’ve been seeing tons of heat out there. I’ve heard great things from so many people, and knowing that they like them and want to get even more colorways is super cool.

One NBA player who I’ve loved to see wear his own Sabrina 1 PEs is Jrue Holiday. Every time the Celtics play, I’m tuned in and trying to figure out what pair he’s wearing because I like some of his colorways and want some of them in my size, too. I know his wife Lauren’s story and where his heart is at in supporting women’s sports. He was one of the first from the NBA that wanted to wear Sabrina 1s for the entire year.

I’ve also seen a lot of Brooklyn Nets wearing them, like my guy Mikal Bridges. Jalen Brunson from the Knicks and Jordan Clarkson from the Jazz, too. For the whole last month, it’s been nice to see the popularity of the shoe grow organically, where men just want to wear the shoes and are requesting them.

It’s crazy to think about now, but the vision that Nike and I had together has really come to life. The fact that the Sabrina 1 is existent now in the NBA, in college basketball, and in high school is what we were going for all along.

The whole point was to have anyone be able to wear them. On the inside of the shoe, it’s subtle, and it says, ‘Anyone. Anywhere.’

I wanted that from the beginning, before we even started on the design and getting into the technology of the shoe. I remember saying how important it was to me that this shoe would be for any hooper.

I know what some people might think: “It’s just a shoe.”

But really, I think signature shoes like this can help continue to push the game forward, for all.

I’m already seeing what it can mean for the young girl who is growing up and can see that there is representation. They can know their dreams are possible because of that. Being able to show that, and create that dream and desire in everyone who is able to hear my story, has become one of my biggest drivers.

We’re continuing to push for equality and trying to bridge the gap. Being able to see how many men are in the shoe and wanting to wear it, it’s going to create this world where young boys don’t really see a difference in a women’s shoe or a men’s shoe.

It’s just basketball. It’s just sports.

Whatever you want to accomplish out there, you can. I hope we can continue to break down those barriers with this shoe and that when people look at what I’m building together with Nike Basketball in the years to come, we can hopefully continue to push the game forward — for anyone, anywhere.

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The post Sabrina Ionescu: What Having My Own Signature Shoe Has Meant To Me appeared first on Boardroom.

If you don’t know Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark by now, you just aren’t paying attention.

The reigning National Player of the Year has been dominant on the court again this season, averaging 32.3 points, 8.7 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game while leading Iowa to a 27-4 record and a top-5 ranking in the country. All of this after she earned unanimous All-American honors while putting up 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game last year.

Oh, and she also led Iowa to last year’s national title game, where the Hawkeyes fell to Angel Reese and LSU. As she continues through her last year at Iowa, she became the fastest NCAA D-1 player to eclipse 3,000 points in just 110 games and would go on to break Kelsey Plum’s old NCAA women’s basketball record for most career points scored. Not satisfied, Clark went on to break the all-time NCAA career scoring record, previously held by Pete Maravich, over the weekend against No. 2 Ohio State on Senior Night. She finished the game with 35 points en route to leading the Hawkeyes to victory in the regular season finale.

Clark put her WNBA aspirations on hold to return for her senior season in Iowa City, and with a year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many wondered if she would return to college for one more year. But the star hooper officially let the world know her intentions of heading to the WNBA after this season on Feb. 29, just days ahead of her final regular season game.

Clark is leaving, but not before she’s been able to take full advantage in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) space through various partnerships and deals with some of the biggest brands out there. She signed on with Excel Sports Management to secure representation as she wades through a bevy of deals off the court.

Let’s break it down.

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Caitlin Clark NIL Market Value

All data via On3.com’s NIL rankings as of March 4, 2023.

Women’s College Basketball NIL rank: 1
Overall NIL rank: 4
Annual Valuation: $3,100,000
10-week high: $3,100,000
10-week low: $910,000
Total followers: 1.3 million (1M on Instagram, 186K on X, 159K on TikTok)

The above monetary figures are via On3’s NIL Valuation, a proprietary algorithm that “establishes the overall NIL market and projected 12-month growth rate by measuring two categories, Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index.”

Notable Caitlin Clark NIL Deals

Gatorade

Having eclipsed the 3,000 point mark, Clark joins an iconic club of elite athletes who serve as an ambassador for the legacy brand. The Iowa standout is the fourth college athlete inked by Gatorade, joining UConn hoops phenom Paige Bueckers, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, and Penn State running back Nick Singleton. 

For Clark, the partnership was a natural one. She was selected as the Gatorade High School Player of the Year two times during her pre-college career. However, it’s also more than just bragging rights. Gatorade will make a commitment of $22,000 to the Caitlin Clark Foundation as part of its broader Equity in Sport initiative.

State Farm

After making history during March Madness, Clark made history as State Farm’s first collegiate athlete and the first female on the company’s roster. Clark is in good company, as State Farm also sponsors Patrick Mahomes and Chris Paul.

“Welcoming Caitlin Clark to our team expands and strengthens our ability to positively impact communities, engage with audiences in meaningful ways, and reinforces our commitment to raising the visibility of women in sports. As a fellow Good Neighbor, we can’t wait to drive progress forward together with Caitlin for years to come,” State Farm Chief Marketing Officer Kristyn Cook said in a statement.

Buick

Ahead of Iowa’s run to the national title last season, Buick tapped women’s college basketball’s best players for its “See Her Greatness” campaign. In addition to Clark, Stanford‘s Cameron Brink, South Carolina‘s Aliyah Boston, UConn‘s Azzi Fudd, and UCLA‘s Kiki Rice also partnered with Buick.

Nike

Whenever a major brand seems to target basketball’s elite for an NIL partnership, Clark always seems to be involved. Last year, Nike teamed up with Clark, Bronny James, DJ Wagner, JuJu Watkins, and Haley Jones on long-term deals.

“I grew up watching Nike athletes across all sports play their game,” Clark said. “They have inspired me to work hard and make a difference. I’m humbled to be part of this first Nike basketball class and passionate about inspiring the next.”

Other notable deals: Topps, Iowa Cubs, H&R Block

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The post Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is Cashing In appeared first on Boardroom.

Soccer jerseys — or football, depending on your location — are more than just an article of clothing. They’re symbolic of one’s love for their team, an indication of fashion trends, and a vehicle for finding fellow supporters in the wild.

Ahead of every season, the anticipation of seeing the home, away, and third kit drop is comparable to any transfer news that strengthens a club’s roster. Everything from collar design to colorway combinations help build a collection, year after year, that’s emblematic of the team’s culture and history. Not to mention, any championship-winning year automatically increases the kit’s value.

That being said, Dr. Peter Rohlmann of PR Marketing put together the numbers for the top-selling jerseys of the 2022-23 season by club. A significant through-line in the data is that despite Lionel Messi‘s influence stateside and the influx of athletes who took their talents to the Middle East, European clubs still reign supreme when it comes to where fans spend their money. Despite winning the Treble this year, Manchester City entered the list in sixth place with nearly 1.3 million units sold. Although another season passed sans lifting a major trophy, cross-town rivals Manchester United sit in second place with 1.7 million kits sold. Topping the list are both their rivals, Premier League club Liverpool.

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Also, note the kit providers. Four of the eight listed below — Arsenal, Bayern Munich, United, and Real Madrid — use Adidas as their manufacturer. City uses Puma, while Nike produces Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona‘s shirts.

In July, United renewed its kit contract with Adidas for a record-breaking £900 million ($1.15 billion), set to expire in 2035. Adidas supplied United’s uniform from 1980-1992 and the partnership started again at the beginning of the 2015-16 season.

Ahead is the full list, obtained by World Soccer Talk.

2022-23 Most Popular Soccer Jerseys Worldwide

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Receiving signature shoes is every basketball player’s “dream come true” endorsement deal. More than ever, this current NBA season is seeing more namesake silhouettes hitting the hardwood. 

In all, 26 players will lace up their own signature shoe during the 2023-24 campaign, a record by my count across league history. That tally is also totaled across a wider net of brands than usual, with 10 companies from around the globe in the fold. 

For the past handful of seasons, I’ve noticed that signature shoes aren’t headlined by just the athletes who have one, either. The impact and brand visibility extend well beyond the superstar player.

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Over 65% of NBA players actually wear a signature-branded shoe, as we’re seeing dozens of dudes lace up the KD 15 and 16s or the LeBron 20. It’s not just Nike either – many Adidas athletes have been rockin’ the Harden 7; Puma players have opted for LaMelo Ball or Breanna Stewart’s signature models; and the Lukas have been popular among Jordan athletes. 

This season also represents a bit of a changing of the guard and shuffling of the deck in the marketplace. There are signature newcomers now in the mix, like Devin Booker, Austin Reaves, Anthony Edwards, and rookie Scoot Henderson. 

Then there are future Hall of Famers in Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Derrick Rose. They may not have continuing numbered signature models but are still each featured faces of their respective Jordan, Nike, and Adidas partnerships, wearing past signature or takedown models with their own signature logos. 

Meanwhile, reigning MVP Joel Embiid, currently a sneaker free agent, has also continued to wear his Under Armour Embiid 1 signature shoe that was initially created for and released during the 2020-21 season as he looks to land his next deal. 

In all, the signature formula is here to stay as brands look for a featured endorser that can not only headline their own silhouette but also represent their company’s newest innovations, design concepts, and campaigns on a global level. 

The Nike Book 1: A Future Classic

From lifelong sneaker collector to refined tastemaker, the evolution of Devin Booker can be simply seen in his first signature sneaker.

Check it out!

Nike

LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Kevin Durant
Ja Morant
Devin Booker

Jordan Brand

Luka Dončić
Jayson Tatum
Zion Williamson

Adidas

James Harden
Damian Lillard
Donovan Mitchell
Trae Young
Anthony Edwards

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LaMelo Ball 
Scoot Henderson

New Balance

Kawhi Leonard

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Stephen Curry

De’Aaron Fox x Stephen Curry

The Sacramaneto Kings speedster is officially Curry Brand’s first signature athlete, getting his own shoe line next year.

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ANTA

Klay Thompson
Gordon Hayward 
Kyrie Irving

Peak

Andrew Wiggins

361

Aaron Gordon
Spencer Dinwiddie

Li-Ning

CJ McCollum 
Jimmy Butler

Rigorer

Austin Reaves

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From the bleachers in Columbia to the streets of Philly, there are many things one could call Dawn Staley.

Coach, champ, and Hall of Famer instantly come to mind. If you ask NBA vet Cuttino Mobley, she’s the best point guard he ever played with. If you ask Forbes, they’ll tell you she’s a multi-millionaire. If you ask Andscape, they’ll tell you she’s a beacon of hope for more than just hoops.

But if you ask Dawn herself on-stage at the 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival, she’ll tell you something else.

“I’m a dream merchant,” Staley told Boardroom’s Eddie Gonzalez.

On brand, the tough and flashy floor general can thread the needle on everything that defines her, realizing how a half-century in hoops has taken her all over the world but, most importantly, into living rooms across the country.

In those settings, that self-appointed title holds even more weight. As the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, she’s selling a dream appreciating momentum and monetary value each day.

Sitting across from parents in need of assurance all while operating at the apex of women’s basketball’s big boom, Staley has lived the dream from ABL to NIL. As she starts the 2023-24 season with higher hopes for her industry and less experience on her roster, Dawn’s court awareness is at an all-time high.

“Women’s basketball is bursting through the seams,” said Staley. “This is the best time to be playing our sport.”

In the era of NIL and an awakening in women’s sports, Dawn’s day job is more than just running practice and recruiting visits. Standing in the center of the sport set to tip into more money and more eyeballs, she balances building a powerhouse program while fighting for larger TV deals that will ensure earnings for all involved.

As the lines blur between baller and brand, so does the distinction between college coach and women’s advocate, floor raiser, and fundraiser. It’s a dichotomy that defines the dream merchant.

Luckily, Louis Vuitton Dawn has long excelled at being two things at once.

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Philly’s Most Wanted

Dawn Staley was raised in the Raymond Rosen housing projects in North Philadelphia.

Playing ball with the boys growing up, she traveled five hours down I-95 to the University of Virginia, where she’d lead the school to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and three Final Fours. When it was all said and done, the 5-6 floor general was named National Player of the Year twice.

After earning her degree, Dawn darted overseas to play professionally in Italy, France, Brazil, and Spain. Running offenses abroad served as a master’s in leadership, eventually bringing her back to the States as the ABL and WNBA launched on the heels of her first Olympic gold medal.

For the latter part of the ’90s, Dawn ascended in the hoops space in America. From a Nike signature shoe to appearances in SLAM Magazine, she was playing on TV and even starring in commercials.

The hard work in hoops was paying off regarding relevance, but it wasn’t making her or her peers rich.

By the year 2000, the average WNBA salary was only $55,000.

That season, she’d start every game at point guard for the Charlotte Sting. Over the summer, she doubled down on her craft by winning her second Olympic gold in Australia.

Weeks later, she’d do something unprecedented for an active athlete her age: She’d start her college coaching career in Philly.

Earlier that year, a chance trip to Temple turned into a recruiting visit for the local legend. Despite having no interest in coaching and fair fear from her peers that taking on two jobs would be impossible, she accepted the challenge to turn around a program that hadn’t appeared in the NCAA Tournament since De La Soul debuted.

From 2001 to 2006, Dawn worked two jobs at once. She dominated her playing profession by being an annual mainstay of the WNBA All-Star Game while also winning another gold medal in Athens.

When she wasn’t killing it on the court, she hustled hard on the sideline. During those dual-employment days, the Temple Owls were winning the Atlantic-10 outright early and often while advancing in the NCAA Tournament because of it.

It was a sleepless stretch for the dream merchant, solidifying her sales pitch the last season she played pro.

In 2006, Staley’s final All-Star campaign coincided with the first year she’d produce one. After traveling to Tampa to recruit a three-sport stud in 2002, Dawn’s worlds collided four years later when Candice Dupree became Temple’s first female player to be drafted to the WNBA.

“When I was in college, she was still playing at the pro level,” Dupree told Boardroom. “So we’d go to New York, Connecticut, Charlotte, and DC to watch her play. I learned what it meant to be a pro just by watching her when I was in college.”

While coaching at Temple and playing in the WNBA, Staley sent both Kamesha Hairston and Dupree to the pro ranks. Each first-round pick found their footing under Staley in Philly, with the Tampa talent playing against her college coach just weeks after hearing her name called.

“To learn from her and compete against her my first year in the league?” said Dupree. “Not a lot of people can say they’ve done that, if anybody at all.”

Lacing up against her college coach after going No. 6 overall, Dupree entered a professional world she shared for one season with her mentor. By the time Dupree’s days in the league were done, she’d have seven All-Star selections, one WNBA Championship, and three Olympic gold medals to her name.

Like her coach, she’d find a fit on the sideline with the San Antonio Spurs. Unlike her coach, she’d finish her playing career earning $170,000 for a single season.

Just as the rate of pay has increased in the WNBA, Staley’s seen her value ascend since leaving Temple for the greener pastures of South Carolina.

Second Home

When Dawn Staley arrived in Columbia, SC, the Lady Gamecocks had never made a Final Four.

In its history, the school had produced an impressive five WNBA Draft picks, many of which Staley had played against

Since taking over in 2008, the Gamecocks have gone to five Final Fours and won two national championships. The 2023 WNBA season opened with eight of her players on rosters and finished with Dawn’s disciples claiming Finals MVP and Rookie of the Year honors.

“My passion has always been young people, just making sure they understand what it takes when they get to the league,” said Staley. “They are the ones that will take the league to higher heights.”

As alluded to, this is true. Staley has sent 14 players from SC to the WNBA and produced MVP talent with shoe deals and public profiles.

The top of the list includes A’ja Wilson, arguably the best player in women’s basketball and the blueprint for Staley’s system of success. Under her acclaimed coach, Wilson won several individual accolades and a national title. This tutelage and excellence led to her going No. 1 overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft, setting up the two-time league MVP for two titles.

As a pro, Wilson is estimated to have already earned $630,600 in WNBA action alone. She left Columbia with an array of records and a college degree. Each time she returns, she sees an 11-foot bronze statue saluting her greatness.

She also sees the coach that sculpted her success.

“I really enjoy helping to mold players and getting them ready for life,” Staley said. “My passion’s at the collegiate level, and I hope it stays that way.”

From a financial standpoint, it likely will.

Wilson’s WNBA coach, two-time champion Becky Hammon, makes $1 million a year — a figure that tops all active players and coaches in the league.

In the college game, Staley stands to make $2.1 million in base salary this season. That number can only go up as added incentives to sweep SEC and NCAA awards total another $600,000.

In the third season of a historic seven-year deal valued at $22.4 million, Staley’s decision to coach college basketball during her pro playing career has set her and others up for bigger bucks than they could ever imagine.

Still, the dream merchant is not just selling student-athletes on what they could achieve at South Carolina. Rather, she’s looking to break open the floodgates on just how big and lucrative the women’s game can get.

“I like it,” said Staley. “It’s a challenge.”

A Dollar & a Dream

In 1992, Dawn Staley’s biggest challenge when it came to basketball was taking on Pat Summit’s Tennessee Volunteers in the prior season’s National Championship Game.

By the time Staley graduated from Virginia, she had a communications degree and the school scoring record to show for it. What she didn’t have was a paying job close to home. All those accolades left her unemployed in America, where basketball was concerned, taking the ACC assist leader to seasonal work abroad.

In 2023, Dawn returned to Europe. Taking her Gamecocks with her, the No. 6 team in America took over Paris through a 100-71 shellacking of No. 10 Notre Dame. While Staley’s squad won the game, both rosters benefitted from a team trip to France.

Additionally, Staley’s muscle played a part in having two African-American coaches tip off the college season not just abroad but broadcast for fans everywhere.

The revolution was televised as Rebecca Lobo, a teammate of Staley in the 1996 Olympics, and Andraya Carter, a player Staley coached against upon arriving at SC, called the game for ESPN.

The setting was special. The stage was familiar. This season alone, Staley’s squad will play on ESPN networks 10 times.

Not only will her young roster need to show and prove on the court, but fans will have to tune in to put pressure on industry execs to invest more money in the women’s game.

“We need more networks to compete for our talents,” said Staley. “Our television deal is up with ESPN. ESPN’s done a great job giving us a platform to grow and take us where we are now.”

Competition is where the game thrives and where Staley finds herself.

Last spring, Staley’s squad lost at the hot hands of Caitlin Clark. While the Final Four exit ended the Gamecock’s quest to repeat, it exploded opportunity for the women’s game as Iowa and Louisana State put on a Natty for the ages — and the record books.

The battle between Clark and Angel Reese captivated the country, drawing in 9.9 million viewers. For comparison, that outing outperformed Game 1 of the 2023 MLB World Series. For reference, Fox is currently under contract with the MLB for $5.1 billion for said broadcast rights.

As women’s college basketball begins its most anticipated season, perhaps ever, Staley sees more than just the ten players on the court but all of the broadcast partners capable of taking the game to a whole new level. Because the current contract with ESPN expires in 2024, the stakes are higher this season for all involved.

“We need other networks to show our worth,” said Staley. “ESPN knows our worth, but if there’s no competition? You’re not going to throw hundreds of millions of dollars at our sport if nobody’s competing for us in that space.”

It’s a fight she finds herself in the middle of despite being financially secure.

It’s a fight taking place in the middle of a season with hoop dreams of the team and individual variety all afloat.

Money, Power, Respect

Throughout her Hall of Famer career, Dawn Staley has ascended titles without shifting shapes.

Still standing only 5’6, she’s a giant in the game that competes at the highest level with coaches, countries, and institutions. The open market opportunities of NIL mixed with the big bucks shelled out to higher profile programs make Dawn’s dream merchant mantra a tougher sell than years past.

When recruiting the country’s top talent, Staley is extremely cognizant of the fact that picking a college to play basketball at is a financial decision that affects not only WNBA dreams but also the immediate earnings for families and the players themselves.

Because of funds, collectives, and NIL markets, a top-tier student-athlete often makes a high-level financial decision at only 18 years of age.

“I get the pull on the money,” said Staley. “If someone’s offering you $200,000, and that’s something you’ve never seen, and your family has to work ten years to get that in your bank account? I get it; I truly understand that part of it. Go for it; I am not mad at all. But I also don’t want to devalue what we bring to the table and the experience that you would have under me and our coaching staff.”

It’s a wild world for players and peers of the Hall of Fame coach. Because Staley’s seen the women’s game grow from playing in empty fieldhouses to selling out football stadiums, the promise of education and exposure still has to compete with promises of cold, hard cash.

“People are probably offering them a lot more money to lure them,” Staley said. “But the lessons that you get [here] are invaluable.”

Always in the weeds and on the grind, Staley is fighting hard to ensure that South Carolina has the same financial resources as the power programs she competes with.

“I look at the NIL space as a challenge,” said Staley. “We may not have the most, but I want to be competitive when it comes to recruiting young people. I don’t want that to be the factor if someone beats us out by $25,000 or $50,000. I don’t want that to be the determining factor.”

When the floodgates first opened on NIL, it was truly the wild, wild west where coaches could chase bags for their players. That all stopped a year ago when the NCAA changed the rules on the fly.

“The NCAA completely stopped us last October,” said Staley. “We had to shut everything down from me going out there and saying, ‘Hey, can you come do an all-team deal at South Carolina?'”

Because the NCAA no longer allows Staley and other coaches to find and facilitate NIL deals, the funding for players is fragmented and often of great variance from athlete to athlete and school to school.

Thus, the equity Dawn’s built over her illustrious legacy across brands does not bear the financial fruit it could for her players. This matters much on campus and in recruiting.

“As coaches, we have access to so many sponsors and relationships with companies,” Staley said.

This proves truer for Staley than most. Because of her resume on the sideline and on the court, she has the gravitas to appear in an Under Armour commercial with Aaliyah Boston and sit on the stage at Nike’s World Basketball Festival. Still, the Hall of Fame point guard has to play the background in earning for her athletes.

Because of this, she has to rely on the resources provided by the university that in SEC country usually go to the gridiron.

“There are things called collectives now, and we have to work through the collectives,” Staley said. “Collectives do a lot of work for football because they’re the main breadwinners, and I get that. But when we’ve had as much success as we’ve had at the University of South Carolina? We should be rolling in it, and we’re not.”

Once again, the 2x National Champion has to rely on her resume. One that adorns almost every accolade as a player and one that’s placed a handful of hopefuls in the WNBA.

“The things that we equip our players with will more than bring in the money that they deserve,” said Staley. “But they just gotta come to South Carolina first to get there.”

Next Up

When Dawn Staley took her tri-state swag to the SEC, few could’ve predicted record-setting coaching contracts and multiple National Championships.

Upending a women’s basketball scene long dominated by the likes of UConn and Tennessee, Staley serves as a disciplinarian and player’s coach all at once, not too different from that of Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa.

The biggest difference for Staley compared to the top tier of recruiters across all college sports is that she played professionally — and exceptionally — earning respect and reverence that few coaches across from her can match.

This type of esteem connects with parents and players alike.

“When you go into people’s living rooms and tell them that they’ll graduate?” said Staley. “They’re working to get to the next level. When you dangle that in front of them? They work a little bit harder.”

When looking for hard work, look no further than MiLaysia Fulwiley. When looking for the perfect place to take her talents, Staley’s program made perfect sense.

“I picked South Carolina because I wanted to be coached by somebody who’d been in my position before,” Fulwiley told Boardroom.

Already a viral sensation one game into her college career, Fulwiley exploded in Paris and across social media. Going coast to coast in France, the revered recruit went around the world and around her back, laying in a jellyroll lay-up that had everyone from Magic Johnson to Jamal Crawford singing her praises.

“It felt unbelievable when I heard that Kevin Durant shared my video,” Fulwiely said. “Seeing NBA stars and people who play basketball giving my move credit? It means a lot.”

While the freshman phenom owes her talent and hard work to the heralded highlight, getting seen on such a stage is a shoutout to Staley.

The program built by Dawn in Columbia, mixed with the pressure she’s put on the NCAA and ESPN, all funnel toward bigger platforms for the girls she coaches like Fulwiley.

In high school, the McDonald’s All-American was courted by coaches nationwide. She chose SC not just because of its proximity to home, but the character and resume only Staley could offer. Since arriving on campus, the flashy point guard has learned from a WNBA legend who played the same position.

Just the same, Fulwiley’s received coaching from Staley’s staff on thriving in the new open market of endorsements.

“She had multiple people come and talk to us about our NIL deals,” said Fulwiley. “We also have NIL companies in our program called Garnett Trust. She tells us to stay focused on basketball, and the NIL will play its part.”

So far, so good. Represented by Excel Sports Management, Fulwiley will continue to thrive off the court thanks to the work she’s putting in on the court.

Leading the No. 2 recruiting class in all of the women’s college basketball, Fulwiley will run the show for Staley, which is green where age is concerned.

“We’ve got a little different team,” said Staley. “We’re super talented but not much on-court experience.”

All the while, Staley will continue to fight the good fight for women’s basketball. Just like her early days at Temple while playing point for the Charlotte Sting, the dream merchant is sacrificing sleep so that these girls can make more money and more noise than anyone ever imagined.

“Every season brings on a different challenge no matter who you have,” said Staley.

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The post Dawn Staley: The Dream Merchant of Women’s Basketball appeared first on Boardroom.

Bronny James is in class, in season, and in stores.

The famous freshman at the University of Southern California is not just an acclaimed recruit and son of The Chosen One but also among Nike Basketball’s inaugural class of NIL athletes. Since signing with the Swoosh as a senior at Sierra Canyon in 2022, he’s double-downed on his Beaverton brand loyalty by balling for the Nike-endorsed school down the road.

Since 1993, the USC basketball team has been outfitted by the Oregon-based company, dressing the likes of Lisa Leslie, DeMar DeRozan, and Nick Young. While each amateur athlete went on to ink sneaker deals with the Swoosh as pros, the NIL era and family ties have made James Jr. a shoo-in to work with the $156 billion brand in an official capacity.

Today, the partnership bears fruit in the form of his No. 6 Trojans jersey being released at retail with his historic name and number on the back.

Following a short-sleeved t-shirt of the same styling that sold out immediately at Nike, this is a first for the Swoosh in college hoops and a quick-turn test on scaling a business.

Notably, this $90 replica jersey triples the price point of the $30 tee.

Currently sold at Dick’s Sporting Goods in both home and away styles, the NIL Nike jersey is a big step for Bronny and his Swoosh sponsor. Historically, rules around amateurism have allowed big brands to sell jerseys worn by popular players in the NCAA ranks without their names attached and all the money split between the brand, vendor, and school.

This season, Nike’s new approach to NIL in the hoops space has both Bronny James and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark cashing in on their likeness. It may seem simple, but it’s more nuanced than one might think.

While college football got into the NIL jersey space through Fanatics in 2022, college basketball has operated a year behind. There are multiple reasons for the lag and more personalized approach.

In recent years, female hoopers have led the charge in the NIL sneaker space. What few have had is synergy with their school sponsor.

Azzi Fudd, Flau’jae Johnson, Angel Reese, and Hailey Van Lith all have strong social followings and impressive footwear deals. However, all the above-mentioned stars have signed shoe contracts with brands that do not outfit their universities.

Because of this, Flau’jae can post in Puma but plays in Nike. The same can be said for Fudd, who helps face the Curry Brand but hits the hardwood in Storrs in the school-sponsored Swoosh.

This savvy yet disruptive approach allows private labels such as Urban Champs, ProSphere, and the Retro Brand to produce replica jerseys, but not in one-to-one fashion like that of Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour, who outfit teams.

In 2023, Nike may have found the through line for being everywhere at once.

Stars such as James Jr. and Clark can endorse both licensed fan gear and performance footwear not just on social media but also in televised games that tip the scale. Such was seen in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Championship Game, in which Iowa and LSU brought in 9.9 million viewers.

Clark, who also signed with Nike in 2022, is both a catalyst and recipient for much of this movement.

This year, Clark is embarking on her fourth season at Iowa, allowing a fanfare and NIL presence that’s grown over time.

Notably, her viral tournament run amplified her notoriety both IRL in Iowa and around the world online. Her passionate personality and aspirational game make her the focal point of Nike’s NIL efforts in the women’s game, though she’s not alone.

In accordance with Bronny and Caitlin, recent Nike NIL signees Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins will also have their jerseys sold this season. Each athlete plays at a Swoosh-sponsored school, allowing such an opportunity to occur.

Additionally, Jordan Brand NIL athlete Kiki Rice is seeing her jersey sold thanks to playing at the Jumpman-endorsed UCLA. Down the road from Kiki in LA, Bronny brings a fanfare that’s still slightly different from his NIL peers.

Aside from televised outings, Bronny boasts 7.6 million Instagram followers and a storybook narrative. His NIL opportunities are endless, not only wearing the family name on his back but the family brand on his feet.

To top it all off, he does so in Los Angeles, a “college town” with over 18.5 million residents surrounding his school’s quaint campus. While the USC Trojans may compete with the UCLA Bruins for local fanfare, the market Bronny plays in dwarfs that of other NCAA programs and most NBA teams at that.

The fact that Bronny could either pop as a freshman or stay for multiple seasons both build equity in his NIL brand. In college, continuity is king — or queen.

Across the arena, female college athletes have ascended in the NIL space not just due to prolific play but also the fact that WNBA age requirements keep the best players in school for multiple seasons. This rule, right or wrong, does allow athletes to connect on campus and on television for years at a time.

There was an era when this trend influenced both fanfare and fan gear in the men’s game.

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Thirty years ago, the Nike basketball boom began officially when the Swoosh signed the University of North Carolina to a four-year, $4.7 million endorsement deal. A year later, the University of Michigan followed suit, signing with Nike for a six-year deal worth $8 million.

At that time, The Washington Post reported that NCAA schools generated $2.5 billion in retail product sales.

All the while, Nike NCAA basketball jerseys were proliferating programs across the country and reaching the backs of A-list celebrities. You could catch 2Pac sporting a Jeff Capel No. 5 Duke jersey or Ma$e making money in an Antwan Jamison No. 33 UNC tank.

While one would see Nike embroidered on the front of each jersey, they wouldn’t see the player’s surname who made it popular on the back. This reflected the earnings on the product and in each paid party’s bank account.

As sales soared and unofficial endorsements made millions for big brands and large schools, the numbers only increased.

By 1997, North Carolina renewed their Swoosh sponsorship by signing on with Nike for another $11.6 million over five years. The trend continued among programs even as college jerseys took a backseat in pop culture. In 2019, Michigan announced a deal with Nike and Jordan Brand worth $169 million over the course of 15 years.

At that time, it was reported as the richest deal in all college sports. Only four years later, times have changed in some sense, considering the advent of NIL and the rise of roundball’s royal family. Interestingly enough, the irony of the Nike NIL basketball jersey is its arrival on the back of an already financially secure star.

In a sense, Bronny becomes the trojan horse at USC, ushering in an era of potential player profit if this retail release registers with fans. It’s undoubtedly an opportunity undersized and underserved college stars such as Mateen Cleaves or Ed Cota would’ve loved when they cut down nets and covered magazines.

Although NIL deals from footwear companies seem shrewd and select in their infancy, it’s an opportunity to test the waters for brands and ballers alike. The quick printing logistics of basketball jerseys, the rise of social media shopping, and the foothold of campus spirit stores provide pathways to see if a co-branded business model actually exists.

From headphones to footwear, NIL has been big bread for athletes on the rise. Even so, the enormous market of licensed fan gear has gone overlooked in an official capacity because the brands, brand partners, and school sponsorships rarely align.

As Bronny James partakes in USC’s season opener on Monday night, the stars will align where dollars and dunks are concerned. Even so, there’s still uncertainty about whether he will start or come off the bench for his first college game.

What is certain is that he won’t be the only one in the arena wearing a No. 6 jersey, blessed by his name on the back and a Swoosh on the chest.

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The post Bronny James & the Birth of the Nike NIL Basketball Jersey appeared first on Boardroom.

Being the son of one of the best basketball players ever to live certainly has its perks. But Bronny James, a freshman at USC, is making a name for himself in the name, image, and likeness (NIL) space.

With LeBron surpassing $1 billion in career earnings in 2021, it’s safe to say the James family isn’t hurting for money. But Bronny is securing his own bag, anyway. Not only was he the top high school NIL earner in the nation before becoming a Trojan, but he also boasts the top NIL valuation, period. And he leads the way by a good margin, with the second-highest value — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — sitting roughly $1.3 million behind the eldest James son in On3.com’s NIL valuation rankings.

Now with USC, where fellow Trojan Caleb Williams is currently raking it at No. 5 in the On3 NIL 100, James will keep his NIL portfolio — managed by Klutch Sports Group — in Southern California. As he readies to make his collegiate debut, Boardroom breaks down the deals that have helped Bronny build an NIL empire.

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Bronny James NIL Market Value

All data via On3.com’s NIL rankings.

Overall NIL rank: 1
College basketball NIL rank: 1
10-week high: $6,100,000
10-week low: $5,800,000
Total followers: 13.5 million (7.7M on Instagram, 5.8M on TikTok, 24K on X)

The above monetary figures are via On3’s NIL Valuation, a proprietary algorithm that “establishes the overall NIL market and projected 12-month growth rate by measuring two categories, Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index.”

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Bronny James Notable NIL Deals

Beats by Dre

Bronny is carrying on the family name on and off the court with his NIL deal with Beats by Dre. LeBron was the first athlete ambassador to sign with the company in 2008, and now, 14 years later, his son was the first high school athlete on the Beats roster. The two documented the full-circle moment with a commercial that had the James duo play 1-on-1 on a backyard hoop.

While Bronny became the first high school athlete to join the Beats family, the company already boasts NIL deals with the likes of Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, and Shedeur Sanders.

Nike

“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family,” Bronny James said in a statement. “Getting a chance to team up with them and continue my family’s legacy both on the court and in the community is wild — it really means a lot to me.”

There’s that word again — family. Considering LeBron boasts a lifetime, billion-dollar deal with The Swoosh, it’s not surprising in the slightest to see Bronny’s name as one of the five athletes chosen for Nike’s first-ever NIL deal. Joining Bronny in this exclusive partnership are Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, DJ Wagner, and JuJu Watkins.

Toward the end of his high school career, during practice in the week ahead of the McDonald’s game — an Adidas event — all players could be seen repping the Three Stripes on their feet. Everyone but Bronny and Wagner, that is.

Just like in practice, Bronny and Wagner wore Adidas-sponsored jerseys for Tuesday’s game — as well as the Dunk Contest, in which Bronny participated — but with the NIL deal in place, don’t expect either of them to venture away from The Swoosh when it comes to their kicks.

PSD Underwear

PSD Underwear has an impressive roster for athlete partnerships — Ja Morant, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Trae Young, to name a few. And those are just the hoopers, as the list goes on when factoring in other sports, artists, influencers, etc.

Bronny, however, is the youngest ever to have partnered with the brand, yet again making history with his NIL dealings. In terms of other NIL-specific deals, PSD is in business with the Cavinder twins of Miami as well as Alabama’s JD Davison. With the deal — his first major NIL partnership — Bronny has his own signature line at PSD, a brand he’s supposedly been wearing “for as long as I can remember,” he said in a statement.

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The post Boardroom NIL Report Card: USC’s Bronny James appeared first on Boardroom.

Kevin Durant’s most recent KD16 drop pays homage to what he’s building with Boardroom. This launch puts power to that mission, co-branding the signature shoes he’s wearing while averaging almost 30 points a night. It also reinforces the idea that despite Durant chasing his hoop dreams, he’s majored in business at every stop. Inspired by a boss in both arenas, the Nike KD16 “Boardroom” is available now at Nike.

Read more about the shoe’s inspiration from Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook. 

Hip-hop and Pop Lead Streaming Numbers, Lag in Concert Revenue

The calendar is closing in 2023. As the year winds down, Dan Runcie’s Trapital has released its annual report, diving into the biggest trends in the music business. While hip-hop and pop combine to account for 60% of all streaming numbers, they only total 37% of all concert revenue. Additionally, the report dives into the emergence of AI in the music industry, the major money potential of “superfans,” and more.

Click here to read the 2023 Trapital Report.

TGL Reveals Rules & Scoring Structures For Inaugural 2024 Season

The TMRW Golf League (TGL), shepherded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, announced Tuesday the rules and structures for league play, which is set to begin Jan. 9, 2024. TGL franchise Atlanta Drive GC also revealed Tuesday that PGA Tour pro golfer Justin Thomas will headline the roster of players owned by Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment. Other players are expected to be added soon. As for the procedures, there will be 15 holes per match — nine holes of triples and six holes of singles. The nine triple holes will take place in the first session via 3-vs-3 alternate shots, with the second session being the head-to-head singles (each player will play two holes in this session). Each hole is worth one point; ties are worth zero points.

Chiefs Star Travis Kelce Files 5 Trademark Applications for Apparel, Cereal, More

Travis Kelce plans to capitalize on a successful 2023 and expand his businesses with five trademark applications filed Monday, per Josh Gerben of Gerben Law. “TRAVIS KELCE” is the most obvious, with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end planning to attach his name on everything from apparel like hats, hoodies, t-shirts, and sweats to lapel pins, buttons, and entertainment services like personal appearances. “KILLATRAV,” Kelce’s Instagram handle, will be utilized for the same purposes listed above in addition to “continuing information and online publications featuring sports, entertainment, and popular culture delivered by the internet, namely, through social media posts.” The other phrases trademarked by Kelce are “ALRIGHT NAH,” “FLIGHT 87,” and KELCE’S CRUNCH,” a breakfast cereal.

Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung has more details on Kelce’s latest business moves.

Lacrosse Federations Form ELEVATE28 to Increase Participation Ahead of LA28 Olympics

Eight of the leading lacrosse federations in the United States announced Tuesday the formation of ELEVATE28 and its goal to double the country’s participation in the sport to 4 million annual players by the end of the decade. Athletes Unlimited, Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, J Tsai Sports, National Lacrosse League, Premier Lacrosse League, USA Lacrosse, and World Lacrosse all signed a charter, promising to unify, communicate, and support one another to accomplish this endeavor. ELEVATE28’s inception comes following the decision from the International Olympic Committee to include lacrosse in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It marks the sixth time lacrosse has been included in the Olympics, but the first time as a medal sport since the 1908 Summer Games in London.

TNT Sports, Cosm Agree to First-of-its-kind Broadcast Partnership

TNT Sports and Cosm announced a multi-year first-of-its-kind broadcast partnership Wednesday in which Cosm will produce and present select live premium sports programming from across TNT Sports’ imprint in engaging 8K+ at its forthcoming venues. Cosm venues are scheduled to host select NBA on TNT regular season and playoff games (along with TNT’s exclusive coverage of the NBA’s Eastern or Western Conference Finals each year), TNT‘s coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and select USMNT and USWNT matches. Cosm’s first two public sites are set to open next year in Los Angeles at Hollywood Park and Dallas at Grandscape.

Earlier this year, Boardroom’s Michelai Graham went behind the scenes with Cosm at NBA All-Star Weekend.

The post Kevin Durant Blends Business and Fashion with the ‘Boardroom’ KD16 appeared first on Boardroom.

When Kevin Durant enrolled at the University of Texas 17 years ago, he declared himself not as a business major but as the best amateur player in the country.

Scoring over 25 points a night while averaging a double-double as a freshman, it took one year of college for KD to sweep the NCAA’s award season.

The same summer his classmates were selecting their fall courses, Durant was inking multi-million dollar deals with Nike and the Seattle Supersonics.

Despite two semesters of college credits, Durant was a professional at 18 — and a successful one, at that.

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Since Durant left Austin, he’s won scoring titles in Oklahoma City and gold medals in London. When taking his talents to The Bay, he added two NBA Finals MVPs to his resume while getting his feet wet with investments in technology.

Informally and fluidly, the education major with a minor in social work has continued to learn on the fly and give back at every corner.

At 35 years of age, KD’s not just a future Hall of Famer, but a modern mogul with a portfolio that reaches far farther than his 7’5 wingspan. While dreams of being a weatherman may have inspired his previous work with the Swoosh, the realities of being a media mogul define the Nike KD16 “Boardroom” release.

Suited and booted in black jacquard styling with suave creme accents, the “Boardroom” KD16 stands on business both in the corner office and on an island when iso-ing a defender.

This iteration of the KD16 leverages silent strength in the form of Boardroom branding on the insole. 35 Ventures tongue tagging speaks to a man who’s getting it done at the highest heights in sports, entertainment, and entrepreneurship.

It’s aspirational in a way that speaks to any athlete or creator looking to follow in Durant’s footsteps.

“The KD16 Boardroom design is not only Kevin’s nod to what he’s built off the court but is a way for us to inspire confidence for anyone to rock it in any setting,” said Rich Kleiman, CEO and co-founder of Boardroom.

Since building Boardroom with Durant in 2018, Kleiman’s co-founded media company has evolved from a streaming stalwart to a multi-platform brand.

Introducing the Nike KD ‘Aunt Pearl’ Collection

KD’s newest signature shoe and a retro favorite are embracing a famed philanthropic theme — welcome to the world of Aunt Pearl.

Let’s Go!

As entrepreneurs, both KD and Kleiman reside as faces and voices of their media company, appearing in video and playing integral parts in partnerships with the likes of Nike, Coinbase, and Weedmaps.

From acclaimed documentaries with Showtime to live events with CNBC, Boardroom has aimed to add value and capital to Durant’s diverse interests in sports, music, tech, and entertainment.

This limited launch puts power to that mission, co-branding the signature shoes he’s wearing while averaging almost 30 points a night. It also reinforces the idea that despite Durant chasing his hoop dreams, he’s majored in business at every stop.

“Be it the actual boardroom or on the court, it’s a little nod to the idea that business happens everywhere you are,” Kleiman said. 

Inspired by a boss in both arenas, the Nike KD16 “Boardroom” is available now at Nike.

Want to Wear It Like KD?

Shop Now

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The post The Nike KD16 ‘Boardroom’ Has Arrived appeared first on Boardroom.

Early on, the 2023 crop was pegged as one of the deepest NBA Drafts in recent memory, with multiple top picks projected to be future All-Stars and a depth of promising players to be selected thereafter.

With a range of wings and guards throughout the first round and a 7-foot big man in Victor Wembanyama who clearly defies all convention at his size, it could also become one of the more impactful drafts of the last decade from a marketing standpoint.

Below is a full rundown of NBA rookie-class shoe deals — from the Swoosh to Puma and everything in between.

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Nike

• Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs 
• Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
• Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
• Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons 
• Anthony Black, Orlando Magic 
• Kobe Brown, LA Clippers 
• Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards 
• Keyonte George, Utah Jazz 
• Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans
• Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks 
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Dallas Mavericks
• Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets
• Cason Wallace, OKC Thunder

With nearly 70% of the NBA signed to the Swoosh since becoming the league’s official uniform manufacturer in 2017, Nike has cast a wide net in every draft since, landing nearly a dozen draftees in each class thereafter. This year, the haul is undoubtedly headlined by Wembanyama, who, in just a handful of preseason games, is already proving he just might live up to the lofty hype early on. 

Landing the Thompson Twins, who had huge interest from competitors as they looked to achieve their childhood dream of “getting a shoe company,” was a massive win. Anthony Black’s court vision alongside reigning ROY Paolo Banchero should make the Magic a League Pass favorite, Brandon Miller is a natural-born-scorer, and Keyonte George could prove to be the steal of the draft for the Hazz.

In all, the Swoosh did well. 

Want to KNow More About Nike’s NBA Rookie Class?

Headlined by Wemby — with Overtime and March Madness vets alongside — Nike’s 2023 rookie class is stacked.

Check it out!

Jordan Brand

• Jett Howard, Orlando Magic 
• Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets
• Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
• Marcus Sasser, Detroit Pistons

Jordan Brand always refers to their athletes and endorsers as “family,” so it was only right that each of their rookie signings had a pre-pro connection to the brand already in place. 

Jett Howard, son of longtime NBA vet Juwan Howard, played for his pops at Jordan-sponsored Michigan, former UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. laced up in Lukas and Zions while in Westwood, and Marcus Sasser was at Jumpman-branded Houston during his four collegiate seasons. Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore even played for Carmelo Anthony’s Jordan-sponsored AAU squa, Team Melo, way back in middle school. 

“It’s super dope to be signed to Jordan Brand after being at a Jordan Brand school,” said Howard. “In college, I wanted this to happen.” 

New Balance

• Nick Smith Jr., Charlotte Hornets 

Since their NBA re-emergence in 2018, which began with intern-turned-future-first-rounder Darius Bazley, New Balance has almost exclusively signed veterans as endorsers in the handful of years since. Nick Smith, a 6-5 point guard out of Arkansas taken 27th overall by the Hornets, changes that, bringing some youthfulness and, well, balance to the NB roster. 

Adidas

• Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors 
• Jalen Hood-Schifino, Los Angeles Lakers 
• Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors 
• Kris Murray, Portland Trail Blazers
• Max Lewis, Los Angeles Lakers 
• Jalen Wilson, Brooklyn Nets
• Jaylen Clark, Minnesota Timberwolves

While perhaps a lighter Three Stripes class than in years past, I attribute a lot of the shift in draft strategy to the fact that Adidas is already locked in with five signature athletes and prioritizing the launch of Anthony Edwards’ killer debut model this fall.

Like Jordan, the brand largely kept things in the family, landing Adidas powerhouse college stars like Kansas’ Gradey Dick and Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino – both of which had Adidas NIL deals while in school – to lead their rookie class. 

Adidas Basketball’s Radical Reinvention

Boardroom sat down with Three Stripes executives, designers, and athletes to hear the influence behind the brand’s new vision.

Check it out!

Under Armour

• Jarace Walker, Indiana Pacers

The No. 8 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft just might be one of Under Armour’s most familiar signings upon entering the league. The Baltimore native in UA’s backyard played for Team Thrill on the brand’s AAU circuit for four years while also attending UA-sponsored IMG Academy during High School before bringing things full circle as a pro.

Puma

• Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers

Waaaay before Scoot Henderson heard his name called by Adam Silver this past June, Puma was already locked in. The brand originally signed the explosive point guard to a shoe deal during the summer of 2021, when the Marietta, Ga., native was just 17 years old and had signed with the G-League Ignite. 

Fast forward a year later, and Scoot was starring for the Ignite and facing off against Wemby in Vegas. The game had so much buzz, and Puma felt so strongly about Scoot’s 28-point showing and star power that they pressed go right then on a signature shoe for his rookie season. 

As a result, the brand took a more measured approach to the draft and the fall sneaker agency windows, with both LaMelo Ball and Scoot locked in as their signature athletes going forward.

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The post The 2023 NBA Rookie Class Shoe Deal Rundown appeared first on Boardroom.

Kevin Durant started the 2023-24 NBA season in a familiar fashion.

Winning on the road in his old Bay Area home, the two-time Finals MVP tipped off his first full year in Phoenix adorned in purple. Showcasing shades of nostalgia on his Suns’ modernized Sunburst uniforms, the palette protruded all the way to his two-tone Nike KD16s, saturated in lavender and violet hues.

To the acclimated eye, the purple pair was in line with last season’s “B.A.D.” Nike KD15: a tribute to his late grandmother, Barbara A. Davis. Debuting in April, the heartfelt project was the latest in a long line of shoes honoring the women who have shaped his life.

While the 13-time All-Star’s mother, Ms. Wanda Durant, is forever known in hoops circles as The Real MVP, sneakerheads now hail the lifetime Nike athlete’s Aunt Pearl.

“I know the pink Aunt Pearls are a popular, popular shoe,” Ms. Wanda told Boardroom in April of the close-to-home collection. “People look forward to the pink Pearl coming out ever since the creation.”

Debuting at retail in 2012 by way of the uber-popular Nike KD4, the Aunt Pearl theme has become a force in Durant’s storied signature line — and a culture-shifter aesthetically.

Historically, pink pairs of performance basketball shoes were all but exempt from the hardwood, worn occasionally in October as a means to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Over the course of the last decade-plus, the Nike KD Aunt Pearl series has evolved into an annual event for collectors and hoopers alike, proliferating pink pairs across the court and culture all year round.

In 2023, coming on the heels of a lifetime contract with the Swoosh, Nike and Kevin Durant are doubling down on all things pink by releasing two “Aunt Pearl” pairs this October.

Leveraging the love of his late aunt and the philanthropy of the Kay Yow Foundation, the Nike KD16 and Nike KD3 are taking on the theme for the first time.

“It shows the connection and impact that the women in his life had on his life,” Ms. Wanda said. “I don’t know if other athletes who have signature shoes have done that.”

The Nike KD16 “Aunt Pearl,” which Durant notably wore during the NBA preseason, carries a two-tone upper embedded with thematic storytelling and Kay Yow co-branding.

Distinct in structure but playing on similar aesthetic themes, the Nike KD3 “Aunt Pearl” retro release reinvents the silo that preceded the first Pearl pair, redressing the retro in the adored theme.

It’s a story that’s now touched 14 different Durant designs and spanned 11 years of NBA excellence.

A story that dates back to his fondest memories as a child.

“When I was in kindergarten, I’d have a half-day from school and she’d always make me jelly sandwiches when I came home and watch cartoons with me,” Durant recalled of his Aunt Pearl in 2018. “She made me feel something.”

Playing a pivotal role in Kevin’s life back in the days when cartoons and cereal consumed afternoons, Aunt Pearl fed KD’s childhood spirit while entertaining his adult dreams.

When she passed from lung cancer in 2000, her loss hit hard. But her love endured.

“She died of cancer when I was 11 years old in front of me,” Durant said. “It was a devastating day for our family, someone that meant so much to us and was always supportive of my dreams and playing basketball. I wanted to honor her somehow.”

That honor has only grown with the ever-expanding Nike KD Aunt Pearl collection.

As the most enduring of all themes across Durant’s line of signature shoes, OG Aunt Pearl pairs fetch over $1,000 on StockX, while modern makeups outfit NBA All-Stars and AAU hopefuls alike.

Accordingly, they’ve shifted the marketing and appeal of pink sneakers as everyone from LeBron James to Stephen Curry releases their own signature models in the pastel Pantone.

Save a one-off Kay Yow x Kobe Bryant collaboration in 2011, pink pairs were not typically on offer among basketball shoes, let alone the standard. And while the aesthetic zag has proved popular with kids and adults alike, the story points to the adults who paved the way for the kid named Kevin to live his NBA dreams.

Adults like Aunt Pearl who, though gone, are never to be forgotten.

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“To see that side of Kevin is to understand the impact that the women he loved so dearly have had in his life,” Ms Wanda said. “I’m proud of how he pays homage to the women who have impacted his life. That just shows how special of an individual Kevin is.”

Starting Friday, Oct. 27, the Nike KD16 “Aunt Pearl” is available via Nike and the SNKRS app. You can find the Nike KD3 “Aunt Pearl” on SNKRS.

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Want to Wear it Like KD?

Get Your Aunt Pearls Now!

The post Transcending Time with the Nike KD ‘Aunt Pearl’ Collection appeared first on Boardroom.

The 2023-2024 NBA season tips off on Wednesday. As the clock counts down to tipoff, Nike has unveiled the newest additions to its roster. The Swoosh extended its deal with No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama earlier this year. Now, he’ll be joined by Anthony Black, Kobe Brown, Bilal Coulibaly, Keyonte George, Jordan Hawkins, Dereck Lively II, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Julian Strawther, and Cason Wallace.

Read more from Boardroom’s Nick DePaula.

Rob Gronkowski Takes Over Naming Rights for LA Bowl

Gronk is back in the game. Well, sort of. The future Hall of Fame tight end announced that he will take over naming rights from Jimmy Kimmel for the upcoming LA Bowl. The game will feature the Mountain West’s No. 1 seed against the No. 5 seed from the Pac-12. The winner is set to receive a custom championship belt. The event will take place at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16.

Diddy Heads Back to Howard with $1M Donation

Diddy made good on his word. To kick off Howard University’s homecoming weekend, the Harlem icon returned to the HBCU – where he was once enrolled, but left during his sophomore year to pursue his musical ambitions – to hand over a $1 million check. The donation made good on his promise on the BET Awards stage, where he first made his promise. Earlier this fall, Combs also donated a million dollars to Jackson State.

Overtime Unveils Women’s League, Tap Breanna Stewart, Zia Cooke, & More as Advisors

Overtime Elite has introduced a new pathway of play for men’s hoops. Now, the innovative organizer of sports leagues announced that it will launch Overtime Select for high school girls starting in Summer 2024. The league will include eight teams competing at its Atlanta facility. To prepare for the new venture. Overtime tapped some of the top talent in the women’s game to serve as advisors, including Breanna Stewart, Zia Cooke, Flau’jae Johnson, and Paige Bueckers.

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Colin Kaepernick is solidifying his impact on the culture with his newest capsule collection with Nike. The former NFL QB teamed up with London-based artist Joy Yamusangie to capture a number of symbols that reflects his “journey as an athlete, philanthropist, and activist … with elements of youthfulness, revolution, hope, community, and ambition.”The collection includes a t-shirt and a hoodie, both available on the Swoosh’s website on Oct. 27.

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Adele is extending her Vegas run. The “Hello” singer announced that she will add 32 shows. She took to social media to share the announcement, saying, “I desperately needed to fall back in love with performing live again, and I have. I needed to reconnect with my songs and remember what they mean to me, and I have!” Her current set of shows was set to end on Nov. 4, but with the news, she will extend her run in Sin City through June 2024.

The post Nike Basketball Unveils Its NBA Rookie Class appeared first on Boardroom.

With nearly 70% of the NBA signed to the Swoosh after becoming the league’s official uniform manufacturer in 2017, Nike has gone wide every year in the Draft since. Since, the Beaverton brand has landed nearly a dozen draftees in each class. 

The 2023-2024 morning will follow this blueprint. Nike announced its signings of 13 members of the rookie class on Monday.

Boardroom breaks down some of the highlights of the top talent.

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This year, the haul of Nike signings is undoubtedly headlined by San Antonio’s “Wemby.” In just a handful of preseason games, Victor Wembanyama is already proving he just might live up to the lofty hype that marks him as a generational talent. While lacing up his custom size 20.5 GT Run PEs, the Spurs’ top overall pick has been lighting up social media on a nightly basis with his alienesque attributes, featured across the lengthy landscape of highlight accounts to millions of views per post. 

Even before his first official NBA game, Nike has already included him in two brand campaigns. Thus far, he’s helped to introduce the new GT Hustle silhouette as part of the “GT Squad” and showcased its sportswear staple Tech Fleece suits in the latest seasonal hues. In traveling to Nike’s Beaverton campus earlier in the summer for those campaign shoots, Wemby missed out on the brand’s rookie summit and group shot that took place in September, which still featured an additional dozen rising stars. 

All throughout the 1st Round, the Swoosh showcased sharply strategic signings. After landing the Thompson Twins — who had huge interest from competitors — the brand internally declared a massive win. The duo with prototypical pro athleticism also hold a great story to be told, as they pushed one another throughout their unconventional path to the NBA that led them to Overtime Elite and eventually saw them selected sequentially as the 4th and 5th picks of the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons.

When the star twins Amen and Ausar were just 9 years old, they wrote out their “6-9″ dreams” and career ambitions. Amongst the many self-promises was “Get a shoe company,” just under a sketch of the “Fighter Jet” Foamposite. While several dreams still await, they can now check off their shoe company hopes at just 19 years old. 

Elsewhere in the class, the brand landed a batch of guards and wings expected to showcase upcoming Nike models like the GT Cut 3, the GT Hustle, and GT Jump. Anthony Black’s court vision should make the Magic a League Pass favorite, Brandon Miller is a natural-born-scorer that’s already donned some clean custom-painted Kobes in Charlotte, and Keyonte George could prove to be the steal of the Draft as an instant impact player for the Utah Jazz.

In all, the Swoosh did well with this year’s crop of talent. 

The full 2023 NBA rookie class of Nike brand signings includes:

• Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs 
• Brandon Miller – Charlotte Hornets
• Amen Thompson – Houston Rockets
• Ausar Thompson – Detroit Pistons 
• Anthony Black – Orlando Magic 
• Kobe Brown – LA Clippers 
• Bilal Coulibaly – Washington Wizards 
• Keyonte George – Utah Jazz 
• Jordan Hawkins – New Orleans Pelicans 
• Dereck Lively II – Dallas Mavericks 
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper – Dallas Mavericks
• Julian Strawther – Denver Nuggets
• Cason Wallace – Oklahoma City Thunder

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The post Inside Nike Basketball’s 2023 NBA Rookie Class Signings  appeared first on Boardroom.

Thirty-nine years ago, the National Basketball Association flagged a rising rookie in Chicago’s sneakers as unfit for team uniform standards.

Infamously, an Air Ship prototype made by Nike for the newly signed Michael Jordan was based in black and red as a way to test the waters of elevating an individual athlete as a signature star in a team sport.

“He signed this huge $500,000 contract, and we had to get him in some shoes,” Brad Johnson, former Head of Category at Nike Basketball, told Boardroom in 2022. “We were cobbling up shoes with whatever we had available to try because he’d never worn Nike shoes before.”

Catching the attention of the late great David Stern, the shoes caused a commotion in the league’s front office while spurring an advertising agenda over in Beaverton.

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“The NBA sent out a rule and an approval process where footwear companies had to submit our drawings and colors to show how the scheme represented the uniform,” said Johnson. “It had to be either a majority white or a majority team color.”

In a move of marketing judo, “Banned” became the basis for an Air Jordan business estimated to do $3 million upon arrival and instead doing 42x that mark.

Today, Nike is valued at over $160 billion, ironically serving as the official uniform provider for every team in the NBA. The league no longer requires a dress code for footwear, with MJ outfitting superstars in hoops, music, football, and more.

From those first steps in October 1984 up to the gargantuan growth of Jordan Brand today, get a timeline overview of how the “Banned” marketing mythology made for a billion-dollar footwear franchise.

1984: Michael Jordan Joins Nike, Wears ‘Banned’ Prototypes

In 1984, Nike claimed a reported 15% share of the basketball footwear market.

Upon signing Michael Jordan, the brand looked to recoup its five-year, $2.5 million investment in MJ by creating an Air Jordan line of footwear and apparel. The plan was to create product and buzz for MJ in the early months of his rookie season, seen most brazenly by the Black/Red Air Ship he wore in pre-season action.

“He never wore the Black/Red Air Ship in a [regular season] NBA game because that’s when David Stern called and said, ‘We’re fining him $1,000,’” Johnson said.

Looking to make $3 million on annual Air Jordan sales, Nike VP of Marketing Rob Strasser suggested having MJ go against the grain and wear the fine-worthy color combo as a means of counter-culture promotion. At that time, Nike was all about endorsing rebellious athletes and coaches.

“Strasser said, ‘Great, we’re going to send you a check for $82,000 because he’s going to wear them every game,’” Johnson recalled. “Stern said, ‘It doesn’t work like that. It’s $1,000, $5,000, then $10,000, then we’ll suspend him.’”

1985: Air Jordan Arrives at Retail, Earns $126 Million in Opening Year

As the story goes, Michael Jordan shelved his Black/Red Air Ship sneakers in favor of league-approved pairs.

By late 1984, the Air Jordan game shoe was ready for wear, donned by MJ in high-flying action in white-based iterations. As a rookie, Jordan was voted an All-Star starter in the 1985 exhibition. The big stage — and its Dunk Contest — was fertile territory for a Black/Red Air Jordan shoe and its apparel offerings to take flight in front of a national audience.

“All-Star was the one time where the NBA said the colors didn’t have to relate,” said Johnson.

Brazenly, Jordan wore the “Banned” color code in the 1985 Dunk Contest. That spring, Nike ran a corresponding commercial playing off the NBA’s fines of said style, with pairs arriving at the market in April.

In its opening year, Air Jordan footwear and apparel accounted for $126 million in profit.

1986: Nike Resets Air Jordan Market with Luxury Air Jordan 2

After an unprecedented arrival, the Air Jordan was hot. Perhaps too hot.

“We massively oversold the original Air Jordan,” Dave Siddons, Nike salesman in the ’80s and ’90s, told Boardroom in 2022. “The AJ1 was on sale in so many colors.”

Comparable to the Tiger Woods‘ red polo a decade later, the Air Jordan was oversaturated in stores due to a lack of distribution strategy and the fact it was the only basketball shoe Nike could sell.

“At that time, Michael had around one million units between men’s, boys, KOs, and infant sizes,” said Johnson. “It was about 1.2 million units worth of royalties to stay with Air Jordan. The average shoe at that point in time was about 60,000 or 70,000 units, so it was about 10-20x the volume.”

Because of this, Nike flew its top technicians to Italy to conceptualize a successor and reset the market. The result was the Air Jordan 2: a luxury sneaker set at the $100 price point as opposed to the original Air Jordan’s $65 start.

“When we brought out the 2, we had to reset the Jordan in the marketplace,” said Siddons. “When the 2 came out, I was getting probably 600 pairs to sell to 100 accounts. The 2 was a really important shoe because of how much we oversold the Air Jordan 1.”

From then on out, an annual Air Jordan game shoe would arrive each season, led by performance innovation and endorsement from Mike. The strategy would suddenly shift once MJ stepped away from the game.

1994: Air Jordan 1 Returns as Anniversary Retro Release

In October 1993, Jordan shocked the world by announcing his retirement from basketball.

Coming off his third straight NBA championship and the tragic murder of his father, the living legend was burnt out. Forced to pivot, Nike considered shutting down the annual Air Jordan business as its namesake star would not be on the court.

Coincidentally, the timing of Mike’s baseball sabbatical aligned with the tenth anniversary of the Air Jordan franchise. Making the most of the past, Nike released retro renditions of MJ’s first three signature sneakers.

“The first Air Jordan retros were in 1994, and that experiment was considered to be a failure,” NikeTalk co-founder Todd Krevanchi told Boardroom in 2021.

At that time, the idea of selling old shoes was foreign to a consumer conditioned on innovation. Lucky for Nike, Mike would return to basketball and win three more titles. Lucky for Mike, fans would soon change their perspective on buying old shoes.

1997: Nike Announces Brand Jordan Subsidiary

When Michael Jordan was enjoying life on the diamond during his first retirement, good friend Howard White pitched Phil Knight on the idea of a legacy line attached to Air Jordan.

Originally, Knight balked at the idea of a retired athlete selling shoes to active consumers. By 1997, he was won over.

“It wasn’t just me,” Howard White told Boardroom in July. “Tinker [Hatfield] was on board, we brought Larry Miller on, and I knew perspective. There are so many things that are ridiculous to do, but there was a small band of people that believed.”

That small band of people was a subsidiary now known as Jordan Brand.

In the fall of 1997, Nike announced Brand Jordan ahead of MJ’s Last Dance season. The expectations for the MJ-led subsidiary were sky-high from the jump as analysts estimated the new empire turning $300 million in revenue by 1998.

“I think it’s something he deserved,” agent David Falk told Boardroom in July. “I think that he was singularly successful as an endorser.”

Over the course of that 1997-98 campaign, Jordan played in models, new and old, while signing stars such as Ray Allen and Michael Finley to endorse his brand.

In 1998, a somewhat fiscally challenging year for Nike as a whole, Brand Jordan was the outlier, increasing in revenue by 57% and improving by 133% in year-over-year average selling price. It was a testament to how Mike could move the market with championship expectations on his back and also provide a path for revenue once he walked away from the game.

“He’s got the Midas touch,” Falk said. “Not only is he a great basketball player and an amazing person, but he’s a very astute businessman.”

2001: Air Jordan 1 Returns as Modified Retro

In 1994, buying old Air Jordan models was a non-starter for the majority of the market.

By the year 2000, that tone changed.

Relaunching the retro campaign on the heels of Mike’s second retirement, the throwback trend caught fire with the return of the Air Jordan 11 in new and old colors at the turn of the millennium. By 2001, the equity was established to return the original Air Jordan in a slightly modified fashion.

Sporting a shorter cut, commemorative hang tag, and numbered notation for collectibility, the ’01 re-release outperformed that of the prior decade by miles. An average MSRP of $100 was higher than that of the $65 starting point of the ’85 edition, allowing Jordan Brand to gradually hike up the retail rate of retro releases for years to come.

2011: Kanye West Wears ’01 Air Jordan 1 Retro to London Fashion Week

Though the Jordan Brand blossomed over the course of the 2000s, the original Air Jordan did not.

The collector craze around retro releases gravitated towards other iterations worn by Mike over the course of his historic career, led mostly by patent leather pairs and models made famous during the late ’80s and mid-’90s. For years, the Air Jordan 1 was a forgotten favorite where the masses were concerned.

Then in 2011, two things happened.

In June 2011, Jordan Brand bucked boutique rollouts by releasing a “Banned” Air Jordan 1 exclusively at Nike Factory Outlet stores. The counter-culture approach and unique storytelling caused a surge of collectors seeking a shoe that performed poorly in previous years. Once again, the MSRP was raised to $125.

Months later, Kanye West — at the time the most influential man in menswear — wore ’01 Air Jordan 1s at Fashion Week in London. Sporting said pair at five different shows with Tom Ford suits and front-row seating, the once discounted darling was now positioned as the ‘it’ shoe in sneaker culture.

2012 to 2013: Air Jordan 1 Franchise Soars from $33 Million to $68 Million

Seizing the momentum — and creating much of it — Jordan Brand built up the Air Jordan 1 over the course of 2012 and 2013 to serve as a staple in its annual retro business.

Led by the direction of Kris Wright, the Air Jordan 1 went from a $33 million business in 2012 to that of $68 million in 2013. The two-pronged approach began with celebratory colorways on the heels of the “Banned” hysteria before re-releasing coveted original makeups the following year.

Over time, the Air Jordan 1 in its high-top original form was a breadwinner for the brand year-round, with more money to be made.

2015: Jordan Brand Reveals Remastered Retros Initiative

In 2015, Jordan Brand rolled out a Remastered Retros initiative focused on delivering better quality, construction, and detailing to its most coveted pairs from the past.

With the reset came an increase in MSRP, noticed notably on the Air Jordan 1 High proper priced at $160. Over time, original makeups of the AJ1 High became the toast of sneaker culture, often fetching 10x their retail rate.

Slowly, the brand began to build up the Air Jordan 1 High in make-ups never worn on the court by Mike. Just the same, they leveraged the AJ1 energy to move units of the franchise in low and mid-top form.

2017 to 2019: Air Jordan 1 Catches Fire Through Collaborations

By 2017, the Air Jordan 1 High could do no wrong.

Looking to push the boundaries as far as possible, Nike enlisted Virgil Abloh to revise the original “Chicago” colorway as part of his deconstructed design series. By inverting the most meaningful shoe in hoop history, it allowed free reign for the likes of Union, J. Balvin, Aleali May, and Travis Scott to do the same.

No longer were original Air Jordan 1 High colorways the toast of sneaker culture; rather, artist collaborations were.

Doubling down on this equity, Jordan Brand began repositioning the lesser-loved Air Jordan 1 Mid through a series of creator collaborations in 2019. By 2021, the Air Jordan 1 Mid was among the top 10 best-selling sneakers on the market.

2023: Jordan Brand Reports $6.6 Billion in Annual Revenue

In 2023, almost 40 years after the infamous fine from the NBA, the Air Jordan franchise is just about as big as it gets.

Reporting $6.6 billion in annual revenue, Jordan Brand has a chance to become the second biggest footwear company in America. From music festivals to NFL Sundays, the Jumpman has conquered arenas far removed from the NBA hardwood and expanded its share to fans all over the world.

Though many moves were made on the court and in boardrooms to make this all happen, the spark for much of the marketing momentum still dates back to that first $1,000 fine.

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What are the young folk into? I’m asking because I don’t know. I really don’t. Do they watch things? Do they eat stuff, or do they respire through photosynthesis? Have they invented a dance-based meta-language that will one day replace our own? Seriously, I need a hand here.

So, you can imagine the intense, quasi-seismic sigh of relief that bellowed forth from the depths of my third chakra — that’s a thing, right? — when I learned that there is indeed a cornucopia of market research we can call upon to understand how Gen Z teenagers spend their money, as well as the brands across industries like fashion, apparel, accessories, beauty, and media that most frequently win their favor.

Are you ready to take the plunge? Whether you feel kinship with teen America or shudder at the very mention of “rizz,” prepare to feel all sorts of ways.

Based on survey data published by investment bank Piper Sandler, using over 9,000 responses from teenagers in 49 US states, here’s the latest on Gen Z trends shaping consumer habits in 2023.

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Gen Z Trends: Favorite Brands

Data via Piper Sandler’s 46th Semi-Annual “Taking Stock With Teens” Survey for Fall 2023.

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More Gen Z Consumer Takeaways

• Upper-income males contributed to the largest year-over-year increase in teenagers’ spending at 11%.
• Spending by female teenagers was down 8% over the same period, though spending on accessories increased by 8%.
• Upper-income male teens reported spending 25% of their money on food.
• Clothing accounted for 28% of female teen spending, the largest individual share by category. That number is down from 30% one year ago.
• Video games make up 11% of male teen spending, down slightly from 12% one year ago, with 33% reporting that they plan to purchase a current-generation video game console (PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, etc.) within the next two years.
• Beauty-related spending checks in at $324 per year on average, with cosmetics experiencing a 33% year-over-year increase to $127 per year.
• While teens prefer Cash App for peer-to-peer money transfers, Apple Pay (42%) outpaces Cash App (27%) for retail payments.
• Teens’ use of VR devices fell from about 14% to about 10% in Spring 2023, but ownership of VR devices increased from 29% to 31% among teens over the same period.

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Read More:

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1023

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Tech Talk April 7, 2024

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Deals & Investments April 5, 2024

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Boardroom Investments April 2, 2024

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Sneakers April 1, 2024

LSU’s Mikaylah Williams is Jordan Brand’s Newest Face of NIL 

The post Gen Z’s Favorite Brands: Nike, TikTok, Chick-fil-A & More appeared first on Boardroom.