Credits: USA Today Sports
Kevin Durant made the headlines last year when he signed a lifetime contract with Nike. The 35-year-old joined LeBron James and Michael Jordan in the elite list to become the third-ever NBA player to have a lifetime contract. Recently, the Phoenix Suns star reflected on that achievement in the latest episode of Courtside Conversations, where he was with his teammates, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Durant publicly expressed his gratitude while crediting Jordan and James for setting the tone.
“Just saying those names I mean that’s basketball royalty to me and guys that I have followed and wanted to be like. They set the blueprint for what it is to be a signature athlete and I just try to follow that blueprint along with having my own twist with it as well,” he revealed.
Following this, the 2x champion opened up about the importance of longevity behind this remarkable achievement. Since joining the brand in 2007 as an NBA rookie, both parties have stayed loyal to each other.
Durant highlighted its impact, mentioning, “Being around for so long helps as well. So, being around for 16-17 years had that many shoes. I am just grateful I can tell stories like that”.
So, Nike wanted to pay the player back with a lifetime contract for endorsing its products for nearly two decades. After all, KD has the second-most amount of signature shoes with the brand amongst active players with 16. Overall, he currently ranks third on the list, with only LeBron(21) and MJ(38) having more than him. Thus, the lifetime deal certainly solidified his status as an iconic figure of the game.
Not only Kevin Durant but also his teammates share associations with Nike
Each of the Suns’ big three has been associated with Nike throughout their NBA journey. Booker signed with them ahead of the 2015 NBA draft while Beal joined the brand as a Washington Wizards rookie in 2012. So, the impact of the organization remained apparent on the athletes as Durant set the benchmark for the rest.
Booker thus wanted to get his hands on KD sneakers as a youngster as they meant a lot to him. The shooting guard revealed that once in an interview, stating, “I know he’s bringing back some retro styles this year. I’ve seen the colors that he’s bringing in the locker room and I’m like ‘Yo, this is nostalgia right here. I would have fought somebody for these a few years ago, and now I’m sitting right next to you’”.
The 27-year-old finally seemed to getting his way as his signature shoe Nike Book 1 would come out in spring this year. Before the release of it, he even talked to Jordan as the 3x All-Stat mentioned, “I talked to MJ [Michael Jordan] about it”. “Phil [Knight] came in on one of our business meetings,” Booker further added before revealing, “I handed it to him. I said, ‘What do you think?’ And he was excited. So, that’s the sign-off right there”.
As for Beal, he remains affiliated with the Jordan brand to this day. With Durant reaching a milestone, the path to glory stays apparent for the rest of the Suns superstars. So, it would be interesting to see whether any of those two stars get to match the achievement of the power forward down the line.
