Women’s basketball players have designed trademark shoes, and sportswear companies have reopened basketball departments and invested in their brands… In recent years, the basketball shoe business has continued to excite everyone. Many manufacturers conduct their activities on the NBA court, which is recognised as basketball’s highest palace. 

There are also trying times. Last season’s regular season MVP and Sixers centre Joel Embiid, for example, is widely expected to join SKECHERS and become the brand’s top spokesperson. According to all indicators, the two parties will make an official declaration.

On the other side of the country, Nikola Jokic, who led the Golden Nuggets to their first championship in team history and won the Finals MVP award a few months ago, has recently become the subject of heated discussions among shoe fans on Chinese platforms such as Douyin and Hupu, due to reports that he may not renew his contract with Nike after it expires, but will work with the Chinese sports brand 361°. Following the spread of the news, sneaker publications such as KICKSVISION, HK-Kicks, and others published reports. Official information is likely to be issued in December.

Nikola Jokic wore Nike trainers when he was younger and playing in Serbia. After joining the NBA in the 2015-16 season, he remained at the Nike camp. In recent years, he has used team methods such as Hyperdunk X, Zoom BB NXT, Zoom Rize 2, and GT Jump. It also has its own emblem, which combines the moniker Joker, the phrase surrender, and the jersey number. The long-term market condition of “centres do not sell shoes” and Nikola Jokic’s low-key demeanour, on the other hand, may be to blame. As a result, despite his outstanding results, he has yet to pay a visit to Nike. He has received special promotion, and the last time he featured on the brand’s social account was after winning the championship. If the two parties sincerely disagree, it does not appear difficult to understand.

For companies with smaller product market shares, the exposure and topics generated by signing with Nikola Jokic may be more crucial than whether Nikola Jokic can introduce products through his personal appeal, increasing the brand’s popularity. With his MVP-level performance, he continues to catch the public’s attention. Let us now wait and watch what occurs.