How these NBA and WNBA stars changed the industry from their deals to their signature shoes and more.
The notion of sneaker free agency has dramatically evolved over the last two decades. Not only has the global appeal of the sport exploded but brands and sneakers have become ingrained into pop culture, making star athletes superstars and drawing attention to their footwear like never before.
While the concept of free agency, where a talent without a contract shops for a new one, is common in sports, athletes and brands may be searching for more than just money when it comes to linking for a sneaker deal, whether that be creative freedom or marketing value.
We take a look at the most important sneaker free agents since the 2000s.
Kobe Bryant (Adidas – Nike) 2003
Before Kobe Bryant became the Black Mamba, the guard coming out of Lower Merion High School in the 1996 draft class joined the league as a member of Adidas.
Prior to the Adidas Kobe line, Kobe headlined the brand’s top tech with the EQT Top Ten 2000 and 2010 models, the EQT Elevation (rebranded as the Crazy 97 EQT Elevation), the Adidas KB8 (renamed the Crazy 8), the KB8 II (Crazy 2), and others.
In 2000, Adidas launched The Kobe 1 (Crazy 1). Inspired by the crossover of the automobile and footwear industries in their design approach, The Kobe 1 drew from the Audi TT. The Kobe 2 (which has yet to see a retro) followed thereafter and marked the beginning of the end for Kobe and Adidas—sparking a revolutionary sneaker free agency period. Bryant’s unhappiness at Adidas and the design direction of The Kobe line at the rise of his stardom in the league lead to him buying his way out of a contract, reportedly paying $8 million to break away from the brand with the stipulation that he couldn’t sign a new shoe deal until 2003.
While the concept wasn’t new nor foreign in the league, Bryant’s superstar status on and off the court early in his career drew the attention of every sneaker brand possible after his three-peat as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. As a result of breaking his contract early, he had to wait an entire season (2002-2003) to sign with a brand and could not wear the same one for three or more games in a row.
Thus, the sneaker free agency run remains untouched as one of the most memorable and impactful as a sneaker free agent went on to become a new face and develop a dynasty for a brand. From Reebok Questions in Lakers hues to AND1, and even Jordan Brand PEs, Kobe wore everything and anything before signing with Nike in 2003.
The Nike Kobe 1 was released in 2006 and the rest was history as the Mamba played the rest of his Lakers days with the Swoosh, leading up to the Nike Kobe 11 Elite model during his final season.
Bryant’s 20-year basketball and footwear legacy issued a new era for brands and players in their approach to deals, signature shoes, and more for the first time since Michael Jordan and the Air Jordan line as the Nike Kobe line set a blueprint for on-court and off-court success.
Gilbert Arenas (Adidas – Free-Agent) 2010
Gilbert Arenas’ basketball career was eventful to say the least. The guard played for the University of Arizona and led them to the NCAA Championship game in 2001. Although falling short to the Duke Blue Devils, the All Pac-10 guard became U of A’s one of many famed players to go pro.
Ahead of the 2001 draft, rumors about his work ethic and commitment dropped his draft value and eventually fell to 31st to the Golden State Warriors.
In the beginning, Arenas would wear Reebok’s Above the Rim and Reebok Pump models. After his two-year stint in the Bay Area, Arenas made his way to the Washington Wizards where his footwear game changed drastically. Famously remembered for wearing the Nike Air Max Plus (a traditional running/Air Max trainer), Gil would also have the Reebok ATR Slamaze Low and Adidas A3 Superstar Ultra and the A3 Dunkfest within the rotation.
Gilbert Arenas and the Three Stripes would eventually form an official partnership which witnessed an era of Arenas in the Adidas KB8 (Crazy 8), The Kobe 1 (Crazy 1), Adidas Pro Model, and even the Adidas Superstar. Yes, the Superstar.
In November 2006, Agent Zero’s first signature shoe was released with the Adidas Gil Zero. However, a torn MCL at the end of the ‘06-’07 season dimmed the fuse of the Arenas and Adidas relationship. Despite the injury, Arenas wore the Adidas TS Gil II, though only playing a few games. The Gil II, however, was the end of the Gil signature shoe line.
Arenas would still play in the league on the Adidas roster when the notorious locker room incident in 2009 completely changed the trajectory of his sneaker imprint and his basketball career. After a card game that got heated between Wizards teammates, Arenas brought an unlicensed gun to the locker room. Albeit unloaded, the NBA suspended him for 50 games and Adidas retracted his 8-year, $40 million sneaker deal.
While in some ways it was the beginning of the end for Arenas, it would also ignite his free agency run that dubbed him as arguably one of the first “true” sneakerheads in the league.
Throughout the 2010-2011 season, Arenas was spotted in everything from the Nike Air Flight 89 (which he wore at Arizona) to “Military Blue” Air Jordan 4s and even Deion Sanders’ Nike Air Diamond Turf Max 96. But Gilbert, in true sneakerhead fashion, went beyond Nike and Jordan as he would also wear Under Armour, Fila, some Reebok Question player exclusives. Most importantly, Arenas brought high-end designer brands into the league on the performance level as he famously wore Dolce & Gabbana high-top sneakers.
Beyond wearing the pairs, he lived and breathed the culture during the peak sneaker blog era.
Throughout the 2010-2011 season, Arenas launched Sneaker Champ. The now-defunct website highlighted his sneakers for the season’s entirety. At the end of the season, Arenas did a Twitter-based trivia giveaway on the sneakers he wore. The lucky winners were featured on the site as well.
Though players like Nick “Swaggy P” Young, PJ Tucker, and Nate Robinson are known for their heat on the court, Arenas was truly the OG who started it all by turning a terminated contract into a sneaker showcase.
Dwyane Wade (Converse – Jordan – Li-Ning) 2012
Dwyane Wade finished his illustrious collegiate career with Marquette with a memorable Final Four run, leading up to his selection as the fifth overall pick in the stacked 2003 NBA Draft. As the Golden Eagles had a sponsorship deal with Converse, Wade carried on the Converse camaraderie into the league.
In 2005, Wade and Converse released his first signature shoe, the Converse Wade 1, which sold over a million units as Wade was named Finals MVP with his first championship with the Heat. The brand would release the Wade 1.3, Wade 2, and Wade 3 (worn during the Redeem Team’s gold medal run during the Beijing Olympics). Commercially, they underperformed and rumblings about Wade’s unhappiness with the brand rose. The Converse Wade 4 was slated to release in 2009, but Wade’s displeasure with the model led him back to the Wade 1 (which was retroed that year).
However, his stint with Converse came to an end after the Miami Heat guard felt that the One Star had difficulties with the recently crowned NBA scoring champion, resulting in his departure, and leading Wade to Team Jordan with the likes of Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.
Growing up in the south side of Chicago, Wade’s arrival to Team Jordan was the perfect homecoming. While CP3 and Melo received their signature shoe lines, Wade became the face of the Air Jordan line with the release of the Air Jordan 2010—the first time that MJ was not the face of the campaign for his shoe. That momentum carried into the unveiling of the Air Jordan 2011, of which Wade was also the wear until the playoffs, as Jordan Brand launched the Jordan Fly Wade, which also commercially underperformed.
The perception of the Wade series worsened as Jordan Brand was under a lawsuit over Wade’s logo resembling another brand’s logo. Point 3, founded in 2010, is a performance lifestyle brand and eventually settled over the trademark infringement suit between Wade’s logo in October 2011.
The Jordan Fly Wade 2 launched in December 2011 with a new logo, ending the brand’s Agent 3-D marketing. Consequently, it also marked the end of Wade’s relationship with Jordan Brand as he announced an 8 year, $10 million contract with the Chinese brand Li-Ning in 2012, where he was also named chief brand officer.
While he separated from Michael Jordan and the Air Jordan line, his new deal mirrored what the sneaker empire MJ and Nike built with the subsidiary Air Jordan line as Wade and Li-Ning launched the Way of Wade division.
The growth of the Way of Wade line and Li-Ning’s integration into the NBA with other athletes led to Wade’s lifetime deal with the brand. At the time, Wade became the third-ever NBA player with a lifetime sneaker deal, joining Michael Jordan and former teammate LeBron James. Steph Curry became the fourth with Under Armour.
In addition to the Way of Wade line during his playing days, Wade’s influence has brought in D’Angelo Russell, Fred VanVleet, and even Jimmy Butler, whom Wade helped bring into Miami after the Bulls. Funny enough, Butler will now be receiving his own signature shoe with Li-Ning after leaving Jordan Brand.
Truly the way of Wade.
Steph Curry (Nike – Under Armour) 2013
Before Steph Curry brought championship glory to the Golden State Warriors, the guard from Davidson made noise throughout 2008 during March Madness with his unbelievable range and prolific scoring, leading Davidson to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual-national champions Kansas.
Steph’s performance on the biggest stage led him to the Bay Area in the 2009 draft over a year later.
With the Davidson Wildcats being a Nike school, Curry continued to shoot lights out in the Swoosh, wearing the Hyperdunks and Hyperfuse from that era. In 2013, Curry’s rookie deal with Nike expired and prompted a meeting that has since forever changed the course for the two brands.
During the PowerPoint pitch from the Swoosh, a representative for the brand mispronounced Curry’s name as “Steph-on” instead of “Steph-en.” To make matters worse, a recycled slide contained Kevin Durant’s name.
The rest would be history as Curry joined Under Armour that summer and signed a nine-year extension with the brand in 2015. In 2020, much like Li-Ning and Wade, UA and Curry announced the subsidiary Curry Brand label, which featured Curry’s all-new logo instead of the traditional Under Armour branding.
In 2023, he signed another extension with Under Armour that had “lifetime deal potential” based on performance revenue targets.
The Curry Brand will primarily focus on basketball through new technologies as well as apparel and lifestyle offerings. Additionally, the Curry Brand will evolve beyond the sport of basketball as Curry’s affinity for golf is embedded into the brand’s future.
Klay Thompson (Nike – Anta) 2014
Much like his teammate Steph Curry, Klay Thompson entered the league with a rookie footwear deal with Nike. And like Steph, Klay’s school was also Swoosh-sponsored, making the transition from a Washington State Cougar to a Golden State Warrior easy.
While there was no botched pitch meeting for this Warrior, Klay took advice from his agent’s clients, Rajon Rondo, in his sneaker free agency decision-making. Rondo, who was with Anta, explained the potential reach of tapping into the Chinese brand that would be lucrative with growth potential through a signature shoe line.
“I didn’t know much about Anta,” Thompson said to Nice Kicks. “One of my agent’s clients, Rajon [Rondo], was with them, and he said this brand had incredible potential and that the Chinese market, as well, was something that I could really dive into.”
In 2014, Klay joined Anta on a $2 million per year deal, expiring in 2020. Just 18 months after the ink dried, Anta released the KT1—his first signature shoe. Following the release of the Anta KT2, the two parties renegotiated a 10-year, $80 million contract extension—making Klay the highest-paid shoe endorser for a Chinese brand.
The two will continue their success with the Anta KT9, slated for the 2023-2024 NBA season. After nearly a decade of Klay leading the charge for Anta, the brand has added Gordon Hayward, Alex Caruso, Terrence Mann, and most recently and prominently—former Nike signature athlete Kyrie Irving.
James Harden (Nike – Adidas) 2015
Before James Harden became The Beard, the Arizona State guard was leading the Sun Devils to all types of success, including the school’s first-ever Pac-10 title game—all while donning Nike.
After declaring for the draft following his sophomore season, Harden went to the Oklahoma City Thunder where he, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook injected youthful success into the West and became one of the biggest “What if?” super teams in NBA history.
During his three-year stint in OKC and early on in his Houston Rockets career, The Beard and the Swoosh became synonymous for almost a decade. However, Harden’s rumored frustration with Kyrie Irving getting the nod as a Nike signature athlete over him ignited his departure from Nike.
In 2013, his rookie contract expired and Harden settled for a two-year extension with the brand. In late 2014, Nike announced Kyrie Irving would become the latest Nike signature athlete while still unproven compared to Harden’s undeniable growth as a perennial bucket.
On August 4, 2015, Adidas Basketball went all-in on Harden with a $200 million bid, which Nike refused to match. Harden was ecstatic to join Adidas as he drunkenly pledged to make them “amazing” again after being spotted at a nightclub at 2 a.m. On October 1, the Three Stripes officially introduced The Beard to its roster. In typical sneaker fashion, the first signature shoe hit the market 18 months after the deal with the adidas Harden Vol. 1 in Fall 2016 and was engineered with Boost tech for cushioning and select releases came with Primeknit or engineered mesh uppers.
From Vol. 1 through Vol. 6, the Harden line became linear from tech to aesthetic. However, things changed as the adidas Harden Vol. 7 changed the narrative with an overhauled design language that elevated the signature line.
As the partnership between the two progresses, so will the product as the Adidas Harden Vol. 8 for the 2023-2024 season takes the design components of the previous model a step further.
Skylar Diggins-Smith (Nike – Puma) 2017
Skylar Diggins-Smith’s ascension to basketball stardom kicked off and stayed in her hometown of South Bend, Indiana as a member of Washington High School and then as a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Through her four years, Skylar and co. were decked out in Adidas. It wasn’t until her groundbreaking deal with Roc Nation Sports that made her the label’s first female athlete in 2013. That same year, she signed with Nike and became the Swoosh’s main athlete within the WNBA.
As a member of the Tulsa Shock and the Dallas Wings early in her career, Skylar had her fair share of PEs from a Nike Kobe 8 and the Nike Zoom HyperRev.
But as the All-Star continued her WNBA career, Jay-Z and Roc Nation were building with Puma. The brand entered the sport and made an impact with the likes of Walter “Clyde” Frazier in the 1970s and followed with Alex English and Ralph Sampson and even into the early to late 90s with the help of Vince Carter. However, the brand had exited in the early 2000s. With the addition of Jay-Z, the brand was ready to reposition itself to make an entrance with its first performance shoe in 2018. With Rihanna, Big Sean, and HOV already on board, Skylar was next in line and became Puma’s first-ever WNBA athlete and a catalyst for the brand’s reentry into hoops.
In 2018, Puma added high-level draftees to its roster with Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, and even vets like Rudy Gay.
While Skylar’s deal opened the gates for Puma in basketball, her partnership with the brand didn’t deliver all it could’ve. Since joining in 2017, Skylar has been the focal point for a handful of brand campaigns and a Phoenix Mercury-inspired apparel and footwear collection in 2022.
Skylar, a former high-profile Nike athlete, and her deal with Puma were an indicator of Puma’s ambitious goals in hoops as the years have shown with in-line partnerships through DeMarcus Cousins and RJ Barrett, while LaMelo Ball and Breanna Stewart have received signature shoe lines.
Kawhi Leonard (Jordan – New Balance) 2018
Prior to being the fun guy and the board man who gets paid, Kawhi Leonard led the charge with the San Diego State Aztecs with an incredible Air Jordan rotation. While SDSU was a Nike school, Kawhi was tried and true to the Jumpman with an elite selection of Air Jordan 3s, Air Jordan 5s, and Air Jordan 11s, among others.
Drafted 15th overall in the 2011 draft, Kawhi joined the San Antonio Spurs and Jordan Brand. With his Klaw logo (which would later be at the center of a lawsuit in which Kawhi lost), the Spurs forward was seen in the brand’s flagship models from the Air Jordan 29 to the Air Jordan 32.
Much like Puma’s reentry to basketball, New Balance would emerge from its dormancy in the sport and offer Kawhi a lucrative sneaker deal upwards of $5 million per year along with a signature shoe line. For the first time since James Worthy, New Balance found their marquee athlete.
In addition to the New Balance OMN1S worn during the Raptors’ championship run, Kawhi would release the New Balance The Kawhi 1—which made its on-court appearance as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers during the NBA Bubble tournament in 2020. In 2022, The Kawhi 2 was released and aligned with NB’s basketball and lifestyle momentum, with Kawhi starring in Joe Freshgoods’ campaigns.
Kawhi’s addition to the Boston-based brand attracted other stars with Jamaal Murray, Darius Bazley, Zach LaVine, and others.
Jimmy Butler (Jordan – Li-Ning) – 2020
Jimmy Butler’s progression from junior college underdog to one of the best two-way players in the league began at Marquette—a similar path of Dwyane Wade and his legacy with the school and the Jumpman.
Once Jimmy entered the league, he continued his Air Jordan saga while a member of the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Philadelphia 76ers. From Air Jordan 29s, the Air Jordan 31, and even the Ultra.Fly, Jimmy Butler got buckets in different flavors. However, after failing to reach a new deal, Jimmy Butler and Jordan Brand parted ways.
Then the D-Wade, Miami Heat, and Li-Ning era began.
With similar paths, Wade and Butler became close with Dwyane recruiting Jimmy to Heat culture and eventually with Li-Ning after the Jumpman and Jimmy split in 2020.
Following the stardom that resulted from the Bubble run, Jimmy Butler and Li-Ning wasted no time with an official deal starting in November 2020. To kick off the 2022-2023 NBA season, Jimmy Butler took advantage of the season opener with Li-Ning JB1 debut.
As of now, Wade and Butler’s career paths are nearly identical. Could we see a subsidiary Li-Ning brand for Jimmy akin to D’Wade’s?
Breanna Stewart (Nike – Puma) 2021
There are few schools that are brand synonymous. In the women’s game, there’s no better example than UConn and the Swoosh. The powerhouse in the northeast has created a dynasty with the likes of Rebecca Lobo, Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and many more. Among the elite members of UConn Women’s Hoops, Breanna Stewart remains high on the list for her undisputed accolades as well as being part of the four-year national title run from 2012-2016.
Following in the footsteps of most of the Huskies who came before her, Breanna Stewart signed with Nike after she was drafted #1 overall in the 2016 draft by the Seattle Storm, where she was paired with UConn legend Sue Bird.
During her time with the Storm and Nike, Stewie had an array of Nike KDs ranging from Storm-themed PEs of the KD line to even a fan favorite in the Nike KD 7 “Aunt Pearl” colorway.
However, as Puma continued to push its presence on the hardwood, the footwear giant made a push for Stewie with a multiyear deal that included a signature shoe—the first women’s signature shoe for Puma and the 10th signature shoe in WNBA history.
Stewie’s departure from Nike to Puma in 2021 was indicative that Stewie was here to make her own legacy in her own way. As the Puma Stewie 1 was released in 2022, the future Hall of Famer rewrote the script for the women’s game by making history with Puma and the footwear game as Puma’s first-ever women’s signature shoe athlete and the first WNBA player with a sig in years.
Following the success of the Stewie 1, Puma unveiled the Stewie 2 in 2023 doubling down on Stewie’s evolving legacy as she joined the New York Liberty with Sabrina Ionescu, Nike’s first signature WNBA athlete in a decade.
Kyrie Irving (Nike – Anta) 2023
Kyrie Irving and Nike’s relationship started as early as high school as the player wore an elite rotation from “UNC” Air Jordan 12s to “Bruce Lee” Kobe 5s while playing for Jordan-sponsored St. Patrick High School.
Irving joined the Duke Blue Devils during the 2010-2011 NCAA season. From the LeBron Soldier 4 to the LeBron 8 V/2, Kyrie’s short but heavy Duke run included some high-level PEs.
Carrying the Nike torch into the league, Kyrie Irving joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011 as the #1 draft pick that summer. Prior to his signature shoe line, the guard sported the HyperRevs and the Hyperdunks in their respective years.
It all changed in 2014 as the Nike Kyrie 1 was unveiled. Its affordability, guard-centric design, and combination of colorways soon made the Kyrie 1 and its proceeding models household names. Kyrie’s on-court success and breathtaking playing ability also added fuel to the already-lit fire Nike Basketball had with Irving.
To keep the price point down, the main tech and design components of the line stayed linear though the storytelling from his family’s names in the traction pads, his mantras throughout the upper, and hyped colorways gave Nike Basketball a breath of fresh air.
Like other successful signature lines such as LeBron James’ Soldier, Ambassador, and Witness lines to Kevin Durant’s Trey 5 line, Kyrie Irving and Nike also delivered a takedown offering with the Kyrie Flytrap and Kyrie Low models. The key Kyrie model remained hot for the brand with SB Dunk-inspired releases, collaborations with Concepts, and even SpongeBob and cereal-themed collections.
Kyrie’s relationship with Nike, however, soured over time as the guard became frustrated with what was initially rumored as the Kyrie 8 and turned out to be the Kyrie Infinity. The guard claimed no involvement in the design of the shoe and called it “trash.”
In addition to his comments regarding his own signature shoe, Kyrie was suspended from Nike in December 2022 for sharing a documentary on his Instagram story that expressed antisemitic viewpoints. The Instagram story and Kyrie’s frustrations with his signature shoe were the final factors leading up to his end at Nike.
Kyrie and the Swoosh parted ways a month later.
During his free agency run, Kyrie continued to rock his Nikes but covered the Swoosh logos with tape and wrote over them with “LOGO HERE” and “I AM FREE” among phrases. Not only was his displeasure at Nike visible but was also creative.
During the 2023 All-Star Game, Irving would go on to wear a moccasin-inspired Nike Kyrie Infinity custom, that not only covered the Swoosh but nodded his Indigenous roots–a theme that was a part of his Nike line.
In addition to his sneakers that served as statements, his sneaker free agency opened a flood of rumors of where the athlete would land. Eventually, Kyrie Irving and the Chinese brand Anta officially announced their partnership in July 2023.
The Dallas Maverick inked a five-year deal with the brand and it was revealed that he would become the Chief Creative Officer of Anta Basketball, giving him the ability to recruit and sign players and collaborators. Additionally, the Chinese-based brand plans to bring a level of manufacturing to the United States to kickstart Anta’s process of distributing products within the country.
While Anta has established itself as a prominent brand thanks to Klay Thompson and his line, Kyrie’s style, popularity, and overall marketability in China take the brand into a new echelon within the market.
As of now, Kyrie and Anta have released PE-style colorways of the Anta Shock Wave 5 ahead of the official Anta Kyrie shoe. We have yet to see what Anta and Kyrie will deliver on the court and to the masses, but it may very well lead to a new era for the Chinese brand, akin to Dwyane Wade’s partnership with Li-Ning.
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