John Kim 
The Beard To The Stripes? That’s today’s big news as reports of massive $200 million offer from the German sportswear brand to the Rockets star have dominated today’s sports marketing headlines. The Arizona State Sun Devil who started off as a bench player behind KD and Russell Westbrook in OKC and blossomed into an MVP-caliber player in Houston is on the cusp of superstardom, so we expect James to be a key player in the footwear industry for the next decade or so. But does Harden have the chance to impact the game like Steph Curry did in the 2014-2015 season? Let’s dive in below.
Why James Harden Might Stay At Nike
Nike is Nike
The Swoosh label is the dominant force in the industry and despite how successful Steph Curry’s first signature shoe was and the improvements adidas Hoops has made, nothing looks better on a pair of basketball shoes than the Swoosh logo. That said, the Beaverton brand can get away for snagging almost any player for less than the max offer.
Avoid “Steph Curry Part Two” at all costs
There’s no denying that losing Steph Curry affected Nike. Sure, their stable of athletes oozes success and championship-level stardom, but to let Curry for a few million bucks a year had to have hurt. Passing on Steph was understandable, given how nobody could’ve seen an MVP-level and nightly-highlight season coming, but Harden was the runner-up in MVP voting and expectations are incredibly high. All eyes will be on James to take home the trophy and Nike’s all about aligning with winning.
Athletes Just Cost More, And Nike Knows It
There’s no way the MVP runner-up, a perennial Playoffs staple, and recognizable face like James Harden will be let go to adidas without a fight from Nike. At the same time, they understand that signature shoe or not, they won’t be able to lock down a guy like Harden with short-term contracts. That said, we could envision Nike offering something in the with a shorter term and slightly less per year than the big tuna that adidas threw out there.
Why James Harden Might Leave For adidas
Guaranteed Money
James Harden is an elite player. But for thirteen years? Not a chance. The Beard is certainly worth the $16+ million he’ll be getting paid, but only for the first half of that contract. When Harden is no longer the Top 5 player he is at age 32 (which is just six years from now) he will not be worth anything close to that. An eight-figure income through the age of 38 is too appealing to pass up for “cred” that Nike products offer.
In addition, one-fifth of a billion dollars is tough for any man to walk away from. These days the athlete “brand” is as important as on-court play, and Harden, without question, has dreams of being among the elite tier of pro-athletes in the NBA that earn more off the court. The opportunity is presenting itself right now, so why not jump on the chance?
Being “The Guy” In Texas
For years James Harden was stuck as the third wheel behind KD and Westbrook, and it wasn’t until the one-sided trade to Houston that the budding star got to shine. He now has the opportunity to be a marketable name alongside his former teammates while being the one big marketable star in the lone-star state.
His Own Shoe
Nike outfitted James Harden with some impressive low-cut models like the Run The One and Hyperchase, but there was no true indication that he was going to get his own Nike signature shoe (possibly because negotiations were taking place, without a conclusion, for quite a while). At adidas, you can bet the farm that he’ll get his own signature shoe in a heartbeat.
