John Kim 
Is Kevin Durant prolonging his stay at Nike, or will he move on to different pastures? That’s still the big question that remains unanswered this offseason, and amid reports of day-long stays at the Under Armour headquarters and KD’s recent push of Nike gear in his personal Instagram, your guess is as good as ours. What we do know is that his time at Nike has been more than fruitful; since 2007, Kevin Durant has become a huge star off the court with the help of the Beaverton brand, and the combination of Durant’s massive talent and Nike’s shrewd maneuvering that has created a true superstar in basketball culture.
Recent reports have Nike sales of anything billed “KD” to be $175 million in 2013 in the U.S. market along. That huge rise is a true testament to Durant’s global fame, and it’s looking like that generated profit is only looking to rise. But it goes beyond shoes: it’s his high regard within the brand brass that had him play a role in a major campaign in 2011, his philanthropic endeavors in his hometown and in Oklahoma City, and his youthful exuberance that make him such a likable guy. Take a walk through KD’s history and Nike, and you’ll see just how a kid from PG County became a worldwide star.
MAKING SIGNATURE SHOES AFFORDABLE
As the generations of superstar NBA ballers began to change, so did Nike Basketball’s product line management. The brand tightened up the number of produced models while giving some extra praise to the signature lines, which directly contributed to the off-the-court stardom of guys like KD, Kobe, and LeBron. This meant that signature models were expected to be among the highest-priced shoes in the market, but that wasn’t the case for the Nike KD. When his signature first launched in 2008, the shoes were priced at $85 and actually decreased in price as it moved to the second installment. Durant wanted his shoes to be accessible to everyone, and the low price-point certainly made that a possibility. Such a move was unprecedented in the history of signature sneakers, but Nike’s bold move was only a sign of the full confidence it had in Kevin’s potential.
KEVIN DURANT AS MARTY MCFLY
One of the key moments in Nike’s pop-culture relevance was the “self-lacing sneakers” seen in Back To The Future II. In 2011, sneaker collectors, movie buffs, and the most philanthropic donors to Parkinson’s research and awareness were in for a major treat – Nike finally released the Mags. This time around, Kevin Durant was tapped as the lead actor in the ad campaign that featured Christopher Lloyd, who reprised his role as Doc Brown, Tinker Hatfield, Bill Hader, and much more.
WEATHERMAN AND NERF
The Nike KD signature line took off and never looked back thanks to the “Weatherman” and “Nerf” colorways of the KD IV. Both sneakers took the storytelling concept to new heights, with the “Nerf” touching on KD’s youth and the “Weatherman” backstory drawing connections to Durant’s childhood dreams. In the sneaker world, both of those colorways have been enshrined among the most influential compositions in history, and has since become one of the most duplicated designs in the world of customs.
MVPS AND SCORING TITLES
Nike placed a lot of confidence in Kevin Durant early on, seeing great potential in the spindly Longhorn long before he became the star that he is today. While his signature line of sneakers were growing at a slow and steady pace, his on-court play was monumental; he took home an NBA Scoring Title in just his third NBA season, and currently boasts four of those awards in a five-season span (he was actually the leading scorer in volume for five straight seasons) with an MVP to boot. Nike, of course, jumped on these winning opportunities and created special edition releases of his sneakers, which translated to some legendary releases under the KD umbrella.
MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER
The 2011-2012 NBA season was shortened due to a player lock-out, but that didn’t meant Durant get some burn on the court. He was a fixture in the summer league circuit, but no performance is as memorable as his 66-point performance at Rucker Park (a moment that would later be revisited by the KD 6). In addition to playing ball, Durant hit up some random frat-boys in the OKC area for some flag football.
PINK IS COOL, AGAIN
Cam’ron gets the credit for bringing pink into the streetwear scene, but Kevin Durant made it look good on sneakers. Nike has been dabbling in pink-colored Exclusives for Breast Cancer Awareness, but the last three installments of Aunt Pearls, which were tributes to KD’s late family member, are currently regarded as some of the best Nike Basketball releases over the last few years. Since the KD IV, the “Aunt Pearl” has been one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Nike went extra lengths to present the Nike KD 6 and KD 7. With special events in Durant’s hometown of Seat Pleasant and in the larger Washington D.C. area, Nike took storytelling to a new level by placing media right at the heart and soul of Durant’s upbringing. For the KD 6, Nike led a select group of international media around P.G. County, centralizing the entire event at the Seat Pleasant Rec Center. For the KD 7, a live feed through YouTube gave all of Durant’s fans a live look at the launch at the Newseum. The best part about all this is that Nike can always outdo itself, but only time will tell in regards to what’s in store for the KD 8.
DUAL-POWERED: LEO AND KD
With the rise in KD popularity is the growing legend of Leo Chang – a guy who rose through the ranks to become the Design Director at Nike Basketball. The RISD graduate’s forward-thinking design ethos can be seen beyond the KD signature line into the entire category, so much to the point that Leo’s name will eventually be revered as one of the greatest to work within the WHQ walls.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
KD’s love for community ain’t no gimmick. He loves the idea of “home” so much that when Oklahoma City, his second crashpad, went through some rough climates, he donated $1,000,000 from his charity to the relief efforts and urged Nike to match his contribution. Who says KD isn’t nice?
