Brendan Dunne 
The basketball sneaker market is bigger than ever-last year the category boasted sales of $4.5 billion here in the US-up 20% from the year prior. That market of courses hinges on signature sneaker lines, which rely on the sport’s biggest names to help tell the stories surrounding their performance footwear and in turn move units. But who are the top performers in that realm? Which athletes had the biggest sales numbers in 2013 as far as their signature sneaker lines here in the US are concerned? You might be able to guess some of the names towards the top, but we have a feeling you’ll see some surprises in the data collected below. Flip through with us to find out the data surrounding the best selling signature athletes in the US as well as our predictions for the future of each.
LeBron James
Brand Affiliation: Nike
Most Recent Signature Shoe: Nike LeBron 11
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $300 million
At the top of the heap is, unsurprisingly, King James. It only makes sense that the man widely considered the best basketball player in the world would show up at the top, especially considering the back to back championship run that he’s put together with the Heat. Perhaps helping James out in this realm is the fact that his sneakers tend to top out at a higher retail price than any other in the league.
Predictions: LeBron has a huge lead on his closest competitor in terms of US sales, and we anticipate things to stay that way based on his current momentum. Simply put, the man is at the top of his game and Nike Basketball has been as well with respect to the design and promotion of the LeBron line.
Kevin Durant
Brand Affiliation: Nike
Most Recent Signature Shoe: Nike KD 6
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $175 million
Kevin Durant ends up second on the list with an impressive $175 million-a gigantic number in comparison to his $35 million in sales the year prior. The %400 jump in sales figures is no doubt partly attributable to the notching up of the price-point for Durant’s sneakers (Remember that the Nike Zoom KD IV retailed for just $95 while the current KD 6 fetches $130) and the man’s own ascension as a fan favorite.
Predictions: Kevin Durant is having his best year yet in the league, which should translate to an even higher profile for his signature line. On top of that, the continually rising price should help boost his numbers even further, and the potential to take over the #1 spot certainly exists.
Kobe Bryant
Brand Affiliation: Nike
Most Recent Signature Shoe: Nike Kobe 9 Elite
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $50 million
The next major gap in the ranking has Kobe Bryant coming in the $50 million in sales for 2013. There’s no doubt that Bryant’s on a slightly different level than his Nike Basketball peers sales-wise at this point, but we’d say the numbers are still strong considering how little playing time the man had in 2013. Also noteworthy is that the Kobe brand is particularly strong out in China, so sales numbers from that region might help level things out on a global scale.
Predictions: Clearly Bryant is in the latter part of his career, but the upcoming Kobe 9 is certainly a sneaker with some buzz going so don’t expect him to fall off the map. On top of that, the successful “Prelude Pack” retros hinted at a future wherein his line could be bolstered by re-issues.
Derrick Rose
Brand Affiliation: adidas
Most Recent Signature Shoe: adidas D Rose 4.5
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $40 million
It’s no secret that Derrick Rose hasn’t been putting in too much playing time in the past year as a result of some unfortunate injuries. And yet, the man’s signature line still managed to bring in an impressive $40 million last year for adidas, making him the brand’s best performer in the category by a long shot. For what it’s worth he’s under contract with the brand until 2025, so there’s still plenty of time for the adidas x D Rose partnership to develop.
Predictions: The future of Rose’s career remains an uncertain one due to the unfortunate injuries that have hampered his years in the league. If he can make a full, healthy, sustained recovery then you can bet adidas will be behind it, but until then it’s a tough call as to whether or not his sales numbers can continually grow. Even then, his 2013 numbers didn’t drop one bit compared to the year prior, even when he missed the entire season.
Carmelo Anthony
Brand Affiliation: Jordan Brand
Most Recent Signature Shoe: Jordan Melo M10
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $30 million
Jordan Brand isn’t all about the retros-they’re a brand dedicate to performance that has pretty good numbers in that category to back them up. Carmelo Anthony reigns as the company’s top player in terms of US sales and has very much been treated as their marquee athlete. The Melo line is getting more attention than ever since the man is now in the biggest of markets in NYC and is utilizing the brand’s much touted Flight Plate technology.
Predictions: Carmelo Anthony is one of the longest tenured Jordan Brand athletes out there, but his contract with the brand is up in 2014. It will be tough to tell what’s coming next from the two entities until further contracts are inked.
Chris Paul
Brand Affiliation: Jordan Brand
Most Recent Signature Shoe: Jordan CP3.VII
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $30 million
Matching Melo is Chris Paul with $30 million in US sales for 2013. Of course the two still stand in the massive shadow cast by the brand’s namesake, but these figures do prove that the Jumpman’s new models are moving the needle. CP3 seems to be in a particularly enviable position at the moment considering his key role in turning around the Clippers franchise.
Predictions: The sands are shifting out in Los Angeles, and the Clippers have already become the big show as far as the NBA is concerned. If they can sustain the current level of energy and Jordan Brand can continue to deliver hits for Paul, we’d expect this number to jump a decent amount in the coming seasons.
John Wall
Brand Affiliation: adidas
Most Recent Signature Shoe: adidas Crazyquick
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $5 million
Alright so John Wall doesn’t technically have a sneaker with his name attached, but the man makes the list anyway. It’s safe to say that the model in question is the adidas Crazyquick, which made its retail debut last year and had quite a strong showing in the final rounds of the NCAA March Madness tournament. Up next is the adidas Crazyquick 2, which cements adidas’ commitment to the brand new platform.
Predictions: Should Derrick Rose back out of the spotlight, John Wall is definitely one of the next in line as far as marquee athletes for the Brand with the Three Stripes. What remains to be seen is whether or not the brand with christen him as such and give wall a proper signature silhouette.
Dwight Howard
Brand Affiliation: adidas
Most Recent Signature Shoe: adidas Dwight Howard 4
US Retail Basketball Shoe Sales: $5 million
The old adage regarding big men not selling shoes unfortunately seems to ring true with respect to Dwight Howard. Granted, the man has sort of been in limbo during the past couple years, so maybe his new home in Houston will allow him to gain a bit of traction in the market. After all, the man has been a perennial All-Star for some time now.
Predictions: Howard seems in a better place than he’s been in the past couple of years on account of his move to Houston. At this point it’s up to adidas to capitalize on the move and galvanize his newfound fanbase – one that isn’t already occupied by the likes of Kobe, CP3, and Blake.
