Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is reportedly leaving Converse and joining Nike as a Signature Swoosh athlete.
he first sparked rumors on Tuesday when he posted a cryptic video to social media that showed his Converse logo spinning into two Nike logos.
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Within hours of the video being posted, Nike confirmed in a statement that Gilgeous-Alexander is signing a deal with the company.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Nike Basketball signature family,” the statement read. “Coming after back-to-back MVP seasons, we are excited to build on Shai’s incredible impact with Converse as one of the most creative leaders in the game.”
The 27-year-old first joined Converse in 2020, signing another deal in 2024 while being named the company’s creative director of basketball.
He has since won two MVP awards and an NBA championship while becoming one of the best players in the world.
It’s not exactly common for NBA players to switch from one major brand to another mid-contract, but it does happen. In 2009, Dwayne Wade switched from Converse to Jordan and John Wall switched from Reebok to Adidas four years later.
Most recently, Jayson Tatum made the move from Nike to Jordan back in 2019.
Now, Gilgeous-Alexander is set to become the newest member of an impressive group of NBA superstars under the Nike umbrella.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
