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Nike logo to appear on NBA uniforms after signing deal with league

By Connor Muldowney

Feb 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of a Nike logo basketball during the game between the Utah Utes and the Southern California Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of a Nike logo basketball during the game between the Utah Utes and the Southern California Trojans at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nike is set to take over the NBA’s apparel deal in 2017-18 and will be the first company to ever put its logo on an NBA uniform.

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Adidas has been the apparel provider for the NBA for quite some time, though that’s about to change as the league hasn’t quite seen eye to eye with the German-based company.

According to ESPN, Nike and the NBA have signed a deal that would give the apparel company the right to manufacture every team’s jersey and even present the famous swoosh logo on each uniform. ESPN claims this is the first time that an NBA jersey will have the logo of a manufacturing company on it.

Before adidas there was Reebok, and apparently neither had ever placed their logo on the uniforms.

Nike is currently the apparel provider for the NFL, a deal which started in 2012, and has already shown its willingness to walk the line between acceptable and gaudy. Teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, with more in the works, have seen the result of the company’s pushing of the envelope.

According to the report, Adam Silver is happy with the new deal, which will begin in 2017:

"“This partnership with Nike represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business. As our exclusive oncourt apparel provider, Nike will be instrumental in our collective efforts to grow the game globally while applying the latest in technology to the design of our uniforms and on-court products.”"

This could be a lucrative deal for the league, as the NBA is continuously looking for a way to sell more apparel. It seems that, at times, adidas had a tough time coming up with new ideas to spike sales. Nike, the league feels, knows more about basketball’s current styles in, whereas Adidas seems more soccer-related – as evidenced by their sleeved jerseys.

Nike’s new NFL jerseys have been an absolute hit as they look much more modern and up-to-date. The NBA’s uniforms aren’t exactly out of date, but they’re not cutting it on a global scale — at least that’s what revenue numbers tell commissioner Adam Silver.

Silver and Nike will begin the deal in two seasons, but that won’t stop fans from fantasizing what possible new uniforms their favorite teams will soon have.

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