Which NBA players have Nike shoe contracts? LeBron James, Kyrie Irving lead signature athletes

Nike dominates the NBA. 

Not only are they the official merchandise partner of the league, but they also feature front-and-center among the league's players when it comes to on-court wear.

When Nike targets a player, they usually end up signing them based on the fact that they are Nike and most young players dream of signing with the brand. Not every player that the Swoosh signs is on the same deal, though, and only a select few graduate to elite status within the brand. 

Here's everything you need to know about Nike's various tiers of shoe deals and which of their athletes has a signature deal.

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Which NBA players have a Nike shoe deal? 

Considering that Nike is the biggest sporting brand in the world — the combined share of Nike and Jordan Brand takes up 86 percent of the performance market and 96 percent of the lifestyle basketball category — it's only natural that a large number of the league's players wear the brand's products.

It is estimated that over two-thirds of the NBA wear Nike shoes on court, but we have to point out at this stage that not all Nike shoe contracts are created equal. Only a very small percentage have a signature shoe deal (we'll get into that in detail below), and there are three tiers to Nike contracts around the league.

After all, even a conglomerate like the Swoosh can't pay everyone to endorse their product. 

What are the three tiers of contracts? 

• Merch deal: Most of Nike's athletes in the league are on this deal. This is when the company basically provides merchandise for the player to wear with no monetary compensation in exchange. However, a merch-deal player is entitled to free product to wear during games, and these players often get a product allowance as well, which is around the $25,000 mark. This doesn't roll over to the following season and must be spent by Sept. 30. 
• Cash deal: According to ESPN's Nick DePaula, back in 2020, there were roughly 225 players around the NBA who are on a cash deal, across all brands. These players can make anywhere from $200,000-to-$300,000 per year and up to $2 million-to-$3 million per year. They have a basic Nike salary, and their deal usually includes various incentives and a product allowance as well. 
• Signature deal: This is the ultimate and one that all players hope to achieve. These players not only have their own sneaker — and in some cases, merchandise as well — but they are paid a hefty base salary, along with bonuses and a royalty on all their footwear and apparel sales. 

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Which NBA players have a signature shoe deal with Nike? 

As mentioned earlier, a signature deal with the Swoosh is reserved for the elite few. 

As we approach the beginning of the 2022-23 NBA season, only five active players will have a signature shoe with Nike, with LeBron James leading the way with the 20th iteration of his LeBron line releasing this fall. 

Incidentally, LeBron's line is the second-longest running signature line with the same company behind only a guy called Michael Jordan. You may have heard of his shoes. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first European player to have his own signature shoe when Nike debuted the Zoom Freak 1 in Athens, Greece. Kyrie Irving, who is onto the ninth iteration of his hugely popular line, is in doubt as to whether he will see a 10th with the brand after he publicly criticized the Kyrie 8, calling it "trash."

Irving later walked those comments back, but his Nike deal is up at the end of the season and the company may feel like it can't continue working with the Nets' guard. It has been reported that Nike is unwilling to extend Irving's deal beyond the end of the 2022-23 season.