Signature Shoe: One of the most notorious logos in sports history is the Jumpman one. It stands for the clothing and footwear brand that Nike launched for Michael Jordan, the Air Jordan Brand. As a Nike athlete, Michael Jordan transformed the athletic shoe industry by elevating his footwear to the status of some of the best ever produced.
Although it is a division of Nike, Jordan Brand runs on its own, classifying the athletes it signs as Jordan athletes rather than Nike athletes. There are currently 17 athletes sponsored by Jordan Brand. Among them are players like Russell Westbrook, Bam Adebayo, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic.
Not everyone has the distinction of having a trademark signature shoe made just for them, even if many become sponsored athletes. We are examining each and every one of the eight players who have signed with the company to see if they have ever received a signature shoe.
Throughout the player’s 25-year history, athletes like Ray Allen, Kawhi Leonard, and Maya Moore have carried on the tradition of donning Michael Jordan’s namesake models while winning titles. While many players have had team takes and retro replicas branded with their initials in colour combinations that the world will never wear, only a small number of hoopers have had an official Jordan Brand model legally produced with their name directly associated. Just six, to be exact.
See the history of the basketball players that represent Jordan Brand after the release of the Jordan Luka 1.
Every NBA Record for Jordan Brand Signature Shoe Deal
Check out the NBA record for Jordan brand signature shoe deal:
Eddie Jones & Vin Baker*
Year Signed: 1997
Signature Debut: Jumpman Pro Strong & Jumpman Pro Quick (1998)*
Nike unveiled Brand Jordan, a division of the Swoosh devoted to His Airness, in the autumn of 1997. To be honest, Rob Strasser and Peter Moore, the original creatives of Air Jordan, recommended that Mike leave Nike in 1987 and launch his own business. His decision to stay faithful to the brand in Beaverton paid off, as analysts predict that MJ currently earns between $130 million and $150 million from his apparel line of the same name, with yearly sales exceeding $4 billion.
In order to continue his legacy, Mike and his partners put together a group of disciples when Jordan Brand was founded in 1997. The new group of hoopers all had the polished appearance and respectful manner that were characteristic of Mike. The early endorsers wore Team Jordan or Jumpman versions initially, which were mass-produced and amplified the design language of Michael Jordan’s iconic sneakers.
By season two, Jordan Brand was treading carefully when it came to offering their budding player’s moniker silhouettes. Making the most of the Mecca, the Jumpman Pro Quick and Jumpman Pro Strong were first introduced at the 1998 NBA All-Star Game held in Madison Square Garden.
Mike was able to transfer models linked with opposing markets and opposite positions, as demonstrated by the careers of Los Angeles Lakers wing Eddie Jones and Seattle Supersonics forward Vin Baker, who represented Jordan Brand’s spectrum from huge market to big man.
Before releasing the Jumpman Swift 6, a subtle nod to his jersey number that draws influence from the Air Jordan 15, Jones wore the Pro Quick 1 and Pro Quick 2 from 1998 to 2000. Baker simultaneously showed off the Strong and accepted the suitably named Vindicate, suggesting his commitment without saying so. Throughout it all, Baker and Jones switched between Jordan Brand classic pieces and team apparel, showcasing a more adaptable recipe for the successful subsidiary.
Jordan Brand added youth to its roster at the start of the new century by adding players like Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, and Mike Bibby. Throughout, instead of donning their own unique shoes, they took advantage of their youth to update Mike’s vintage footwear. That would all change in 2003.
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Carmelo Anthony
Year Signed: 2003
Signature Debut: Jordan Melo 1.5 (2004)
Similar to the NBA Drafts of 1984 and 1996, there were several players selected in the first round in the 2003 draft who would go on to become stars far into their careers. But at the beginning, two names stood out as likely shoe stars: LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, among all the promise and uncertainty in the class.
As amateurs, Jordan Brand was interested in both players. Adidas is the sponsor of St. Vincent St. Mary’s in Akron, where LeBron James was playing. Green and gold player-exclusive one-of-a-kind cards were among the presents that Mike’s company gave to the young monarch. Even at the Jumpman-sponsored Oak Hill Academy, Michael Jackson’s use of Carmelo was pervasive in everything he did.
When it came down to it, the company that wrote Mike the checks had more money to sign LeBron. Despite Nike’s impressive 2003 performance, Jordan still paid Carmelo. They supposedly paid the Syracuse great $3.5 million a year over his first six years, the highest sum Mike had ever paid a hooper to lead his label. Michael Jackson’s final retirement, of course, put an end to this and made a place for a new leader.
Following a rookie campaign filled with throwback rareties and exclusive shipments of the newest Air Jordan flagship models while he was still in Denver, Carmelo Anthony made his signature shoe debut during the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Jordan Melo 1.5 was an updated version of Mike’s initial two models, with the Nugget leading the way in terms of colour scheme and marketing. For more than ten years, Melo served as the inspiration for Jordan Brand’s iconic trainers, opening the door for later celebrities to put their names next to Mike’s.
Chris Paul
Year Signed: 2006
Signature Debut: Jordan CP3 (2008)
Michael Jordan knew who Chris Paul was before anybody else did. During summer basketball clinics, the Winston-Salem native bossed around All-Stars and Hall of Famers with the same all-around demeanour of an experienced veteran.
Nevertheless, Nike was the team that grabbed the wayward point guard when he entered the NBA Draft. Jordan Brand pounced on the opportunity to wrest Paul away from the Swoosh after winning Rookie of the Year in 2006. The move raised issues about how Mike could recruit players to both his apparel firm and his newly acquired Charlotte team. It also set the stage for other categories within the Nike, Inc. umbrella to switch endorsers within the larger family.
The Jordan CP3 line debuted in 2008, following in the footsteps of Jumpman models, PE pairs of retros and flagship signatures. Since coming, the CP3 brand has established itself with low-top styles that are reminiscent of Paul’s signature crisp play. Paul is still wearing the signature series in 2022, although it no longer has the same retail stamp.
Dwyane Wade
Year Signed: 2009
Signature Debut: Jordan Fly Wade (2011)
Chicago native Dwyane Wade changed sponsors in 2009, leaving Converse to join Jordan Brand, taking a cue from Paul’s departure from Nike. Wade was a part of the basketball rookie rebranding for Converse when he initially signed on, teaming up with players like Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, and Mike Sweetney to bring the Chevron back to life in the sport.
Wade quickly established himself as a legitimate superstar, surpassing the status of mere up-and-coming talent. Converse soon created his own line of signature sneakers. The Converse Wade line lost its footing on the market due to early curiosity and eventual weariness, which allowed its new parent firm to reorganise the deck. Wade was picked the same year that Nike paid $309 million to purchase Converse, giving Nike the power to control the future of both companies.
Wade made a shocking shift to Jordan Brand in 2009, shocking the sports community. The intention was to turn the Chi City lad into the face of the annual game shoe queue that he and his pals had dreamed about as kids. He was spotted wearing the Air Jordan 2010 alongside Michael Jordan. In 2010 and 2011, while Wade was a player with the Miami Heat, he donned the renowned Air Jordan model. He soon acquired the Fly Wade as his own signature sneaker.
Wade defied authority in the autumn of 2012, abandoning Jordan Brand to join the Chinese company Li Ning, as a tribute to his astute business partner North Star. The contentious choice, which earned equity and attracted a sizable audience, gave Flash the opportunity to forge his own route, just like Jordan had done years before.
Russell Westbrook
Year Signed: 2013
Signature Debut: Jordan Why Not Zer0.1 (2018)*
Mike’s polished professional image both on and off the court—his class, his effortless manner, and his fundamentally solid skills—was what attracted Jordan Brand’s early endorsers. Russell Westbrook was brought on by Jordan Brand in 2013 as a man who could match Mike’s insane intensity.
The controversial point guard revitalised an underachieving dynasty with a newfound boldness and intensity after rising to prominence as a Nike athlete in Oklahoma City. Jordan Brand catered to the burgeoning fashion obsession of the game while being a SportsCenter regular with Westbrook.
For the first several years of his relationship, Westbrook led the flagship Air Jordan models, much like Wade. Jordan Brand ushered Russ into their retail space with a real zig by introducing him to both his own lifestyle silhouette and PEs designed for the public. By 2018, he had the Jordan Why Not Zer0.1, his own performance-oriented signature sneaker. Since then, his brand has expanded to include more performance-driven models that bear his likeness in addition to his own One Take diffusion series, which builds on the Team Jumpman concept that Mike first launched in 1997.
Zion Williamson
Year Signed: 2019
Signature Debut: Jordan Zion 1 (2021)
For the first time since LeBron James, the Signature shoe deal industry was enmeshed in a fierce bidding war. Who did Zion Williamson sign with?
Unexpectedly, it turned out to be Jordan Brand. The usually thrifty team not only signed a former Duke player but also reportedly gave him a $75 million contract. It was the most sum they had given a rookie hooper since Melo, and it was only surpassed by King James in terms of signing money for a young baller.
The Jordan Zion 1 made its debut in 2021, not long after he played in his first All-Star Game. He had previously worn the Air Jordan 34 during his rookie season and the Air Jordan 35 during his sophomore ascension. The position-less Pelicans star has been sidelined by injury in 2022, but practice images have given fans a glimpse of the impending Jordan Zion 2.
Luka Dončić
Year Signed: 2019
Signature Debut: Jordan Luka 1 (2022)
Few marketers indicated Luka Dončić might sell shoes, but several scouts noticed his potential when he announced his candidature for the 2018 NBA Draft. While Adidas signed Trae Young and PUMA signed a number of lottery picks, Luka still had one season remaining on his contract to be an endorser for Nike, which he inked while playing in Europe.
Luka proved throughout his Rookie of the Year-winning season that he was more than simply the player selected in his draft; he was prepared to be an NBA star in the future. From a business perspective, the price increased since Dončić’s contract with Nike was about to expire. After putting the Slovenian superstar through testing the market with appearances in Under Armour Curry releases and other competition products, Brand Jordan finally signed him.
After that, Luka demonstrated his distinctive low-top and mid-top cosmetics, which were subsequently marketed in stores, while playing in PE pairs of the Air Jordan 34 and 35. With the Jordan Zoom Separate, which served as a transitional model for the Jordan Luka 1, the Maverick player became the sixth official basketball player to use the Jordan Brand logo.
Jayson Tatum
Year Signed: 2019
Signature Debut: Unknown (2022)
Similar to Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Eddie Jones, and numerous players who came before him, Jayson Tatum was a Nike athlete when he started his NBA career. Much to Dončić, Tatum gained enormous popularity as the face of Swoosh’s auto-lacing Adapt BB after winning the lottery in 2017.
Tatum was added by Jordan Brand in the summer of 2019, marking the beginning of a complete roster overhaul. He will be the third player in that class to receive his own signature shoe, even though he signed with Mike before Luka and Zion. While Tatum is pushing himself to new limits during this playoff run.
This is the list of every NBA record for Jordan Brand’s signature shoe deal. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
