Nike Signs Cade Cunningham, Projected Top NBA Draft Pick

Cade Cunningham is now a Nike athlete.

First reported by ESPN, Cunningham — who is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft — inked a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal with the brand.

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“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,” Cunningham told ESPN.

ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported via Twitter that Cunningham’s deal with Nike, according to sources, is believed to be the highest-earning shoe deal among the players in the upcoming draft class.

In his one college season playing for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the baller averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Cunningham is not the first potential lottery pick from this year’s draft to sign with a major brand. In May, Adidas announced it added Jalen Green to its athlete roster. Green is widely projected to be picked in the top five of the 2021 NBA Draft, with most insider big boards having him picked No. 2 overall.

Green played in the G-League for the 2020-21 season for the NBA G League Ignite, averaging 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

The 2021 NBA Draft will take place Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The first round will be shown live on ABC and ESPN.

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