Finally, the Denver Nuggets broke their egg too and managed to leave the association of 11 teams that have never won in the finals in NBA history after defeating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the 2023 NBA basketball season. Yes, the NBA club that originally played in the ABA league brilliantly set aside other strong teams including LeBron James’ club, the LA Lakers.
The Denver Nuggets’ victory could not be separated from their two talented players, Nicola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The center and point guard duo indeed have tremendous fighting power that can bring their opponents to their knees. The NBA itself is back as a candidate for the Nuggets for next year’s season. Yes, no longer the LA Lakers or Boston Celtics.
The name that shone the most in this year’s tournament was Nicola Jokic. This big Serbian basketball player was named the NBA Finals MVP after previously winning two MPV awards in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. The 2.11 meter tall man is included in the top ten triple-double winning players of all time. The basketball player nicknamed “The Joker” even won the title of the fastest player to win a triple-double in NBA history which he won in just 14 minutes 33 seconds.
From the statistics and awards he has won, Jokic should have his own signature shoe, right? Yes, NBA stars who have signature shoes become members of an exclusive club that not all players can achieve. Since Michael Jordan revolutionized the relationship between sneakers and basketball, it has become commonplace for top NBA basketball players to sport their own signature shoe ever since.
Actually, what is the signature shoe? Signature shoes are shoes designed to showcase the style, personality and playability of top athletes. These shoes are also often considered a status symbol among basketball fans and sneakers.
One of the famous signature shoe lines throughout NBA history is Air Jordan by Nike. These shoes have become a symbol of the greatness of the game of basketball with Michael Jordan as the star. This shoe line continues to climb its popularity from time to time and even today. Signature shoes have become a huge part of the NBA basketball world. Specific players and brands collaborate to create unique and innovative sneakers tailored to each player’s playing style.
Nine NBA MVP award winners who are still playing in the NBA league today, eight of whom have signature shoes. Nike LeBron James has reached XX which means he has arrived in his 20th edition as his teammate Russel Westbrook had fun last year with Jordan Why Not 6.
Phoenix Suns frontman Kevin Durant has released KD Durant until his 16th edition during the 2023 playoffs. Stephen Curry launched the Curry Flow 10 under the Under Armour brand while Nike recently launched its first Zoom Freak 5 model for Greek basketball player of the Milwaukee Bucks club, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Memphis Grizzlies player Derrick Rose released the 11th version of Adidas D. Rose in 2020 and Son of Chi 3 in 2021. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers player who works with Adidas has also released the 7th volume. Teammate Joel Embiid wears the Embiid 1 under the Under Armor brand for the 2023 season.
The only MPV winner who doesn’t have a signature shoe is Nicola Jokic. In an interview with the “Denver Gazzete,” Jokic revealed that he and his sneaker sponsor, Nike, have not spoken about it. Reporting from MSN, Jokic said that it would be nice if he had a signature shoe but if not, that’s okay, it won’t kill him either.
Jokic’s loyalty to Nike is unquestionable. Early in his career in the NBA, Jokic used the Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier 9 and Hyperdunk shoes before being discontinued in 2019. After he won the award as the first MPV, this father of one daughter immediately wore exclusive equipment in the form of a Player Edition from the Nike Zoom Rize 2 with the Joker logo on the tongue of his shoe.
Nike Zoom Rize 2 with Joker logo | source: www.whatsprowear.com
The athlete who was born on February 19, 1995 has also worn the Nike Zoom GT Jump Joker PE by displaying the logo. During the fight for the title in 2023, he was seen wearing Zoom GT shoes.
Jokic indeed have a player edition shoe with a logo and symbol that represents him but the player edition shoe is different from the signature shoe. Signature shoes do not only stand as a status symbol but are a steady source of income that players can enjoy even after entering retirement.
An example of a very famous line of signature shoes is Air Jordan. These shoes are very popular in the market. Michael Jordan has made more than $1 billion from sales of these shoes since Air Jordan was launched in 1984 ago. So why, until now, Luka Doncic’s friend has not signed a contract related to the special shoes coveted by the top NBA stars?
One of the reasons may lie in his big body. Yes, historically it has been more difficult to land a signature shoe when the basketball player in question is larger and Nike, the sponsoring brand may be hesitant to offer such a deal. One of the big athletes who managed to own a signature shoe is Shaquille O’Neal under the Reebok brand and named “The Attaq.”
Tim Duncan, Kevin, Garnett, and Dwight Howard, each with a height of 2.11 cm, have signature shoes from the Adidas brand but failed to present anything distinctive and instead stuck with the same Adidas Player Edition model. Nike seems to see the difficulty of marketing its products when it comes to athletes with large bodies, especially those from the European continent.
Yes, interest in basketball shoes in Europe is not the same as in America, so this might have made Nike hesitant to start working with the player who started his career playing at Mega Vizura. While Jokic has been one of the top players in the NBA for the last three years when it comes to signature shoes, he has been overtaken by his compatriots Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies and Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans who have yet to even win the MPV title.
It looks like it’s time for basketball and sneakers lovers to stop wondering when Nike will make a signature shoe for Nicola Jokic because the basketball player who brought Serbia to win a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics doesn’t seem to care.
ASL
