With the 2021 NBA Draft set for Thursday, the projected No. 1 pick, Cade Cunningham, has agreed to a multi-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Nike.
According to ESPN, Cunningham is one of the first major signings to a footwear brand following the pandemic slowing down the signing process last year. Through Cunningham’s college career at Oklahoma State University, Cunningham wore Nike.
“More than anything, they show that athletes are more than just athletes,” Cunningham told ESPN. “They really put the right message out for people to see. That was important to me. … I felt like it was a perfect match for me.”
He added, “We all can tell a Nike commercial as soon as they come on. Those things matter to me, and I want to be associated with a brand like that.”
Nike plans to have Cunningham wear the “Greater Than” series, which includes player-exclusive editions of the GT Cut, GT Run, and GT Jump.
