Reigning NBA Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic is officially joining Aaron Gordon at 361°, a Chinese shoe brand. Previously, Jokic partnered with Nike, wearing their sneakers on the court for his first eight seasons in the NBA. Most recently, he’s been the face of the franchise’s GT Jump series.
Over the last few years, Jokic’s shoes have received a lot of attention after the Denver Nuggets’ center started tying his wedding ring to his laces. Now, the two-time NBA MVP is taking that newfound attention to a new company.
Jokic is officially leaving the Nike franchise and becomes the face of the Chinese brand 361°. His departure marks a new era in NBA footwear and apparel, where athletes have been able to sign with international brands.
Nikola Jokic Joins Chinese Brand 361°
There have been rumors circulating for weeks that Jokic would part ways with Nike. In the meantime, the Chinese shoe brand had been hinting about signing an MVP-caliber player to its roster.
Last week, the two-time NBA MVP was spotted wearing 361 at one of the Denver Nuggets’ practices. Prior to that moment, he’d be wearing Nike shoes for the entirety of his career. On Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors, Jokic revealed he signed with 361 after wearing their shoes in a game for the first time ever.
Jokic will be joining some of his Nuggets teammates at the company with Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope already signed to the brand. 361 Degrees has also signed Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie to its roster, making it one of the most well-represented international shoe brands in the NBA.
Nike Loses Another Former NBA MVP To Rival Brand
Despite the fact that Nike owns the shoe game in the NBA, it’s not the first time the brand has lost an MVP. The company lost arguably one of the best shooters in history when Steph Curry left the brand to join Under Amour. Now, Curry has his own line with Under Armour and has signed other NBA players, like De’Aaron Fox, to his shoe line.
Another MVP, James Harden left Nike for Adidas. Despite wearing Nike for the first six years of his career, he left the brand for his own signature shoe as a member of the Houston Rockets.
Now that Jokic has parted ways with Nike, he’ll be the face of the global brand 361. While no numbers have been released about his contract, there are rumors the company is fast-tracking a signature shoe for one of the best players in the NBA.
