Kevin Durant Is a Nike Athlete for Life

A year ago, LeBron James became the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. Now, his long-time rival Kevin Durant is trying to catch up to him, announcing that he’s signed a lifetime deal with Nike.

This is only the third time the Swoosh has signed an NBA player to a lifetime deal and the two others are arguably the best to ever play: Michael Jordan and LeBron. This speaks to how the Oregon shoe and apparel company values the two-time Finals MVP.

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Ever since Durant was drafted in 2007 by the now-dissolved Seattle Supersonics, he’s been a Nike athlete. Starting in 2008, KD has had 15 signature sneakers (with the KD 4 being my personal favorite). He currently has the second-longest-running active shoe line (behind Bron) over the last five years. He’s only one of five players with their own signature sneaker at Nike.

When asked about the deal becoming a reality, Durant said, according to the Boardroom, “When I first signed with Nike, I couldn’t have dreamed of how far we’d go in this partnership. We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically.”

He continued, “We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal.”

This deal will only increase the 13-time-all stars net worth, which is estimated to be upwards of $200 million. It will also increase his standing as one of the richest athletes in the world. In 2022 alone, KD took home $92.1 million, which was sixth in the world, according to Forbes. I guarantee that that number will increase exponentially in 2023.

In the meantime, I think Easy Money is more worried about leading the Phoenix Suns to an NBA title, as they are set to face off against the Denver Nuggets in thee second round of the NBA Playoffs.

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