Patrick Johnson 
Is 2017 going to be a bounce-back year for Nike Basketball signature models? Over the past few years, we’ve seen a shift from must-have current signature models in the basketball category to a lifestyle focus on retro installments from Nike Sportswear and Jordan Brand, and the crossover comfort of performance running silhouettes. The result of this shift is less-than-stellar numbers for the once-dominant Basketball category. That being said, Nike is making a push to have their latest signature offerings in the Nike Kyrie 3 and Nike LeBron 14 be more readily accessible both on and off the court with price drops, uniquely minimalist designs, and a focus on creative colorways that will attract a younger audience – especially with Kyrie Irving’s third model.
Above: The LeBron 14 and Kyrie 3 (via Kyrie Irving‘s Instagram)
Nike reported a better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit that hinted toward a rebound in its basketball category before the end of last year. “We’re seeing incredible momentum in basketball, to be clear, basketball is back,” Trevor Edwards, president of Nike Brand, said on a conference call with Reuters.com in late-December. So what does that mean, exactly? Nike expects its basketball category to continue to grow in the back half of its year ending May 2017 spearheaded by the introduction of the Kyrie 3 and LeBron 14.
In year’s past, Under Armour’s basketball imprint challenged Nike with the signing of Steph Curry, but the newness of UA’s Curry lineup has lost some of its luster. Under Armour lost almost $600 million of its value back in November 2016 in part because the Curry 3 wasn’t selling as well as the brand had initially expected. ESPN Senior Writer Darren Rovell reported that Foot Locker CEO Dick Johnson said the UA Curry 3 “started off a bit slower than the previous models.”
Above: UA Curry 3 sold for over $30,000 at auction; proceeds went to charity for Oakland Ghost Ship fire victims
While Under Armour expects the UA Curry 3 to bounce back, there’s no doubt that the Nike Kyrie 3 is set to challenge the UA Curry 3 given the price point, sleek design, and the appeal of Kyrie’s game to a younger generation. Nike began capitalizing on this new rivalry after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in last year’s NBA Finals. (For more on that read our How Nike Took Back The Basketball Spotlight In The NBA Finals feature).
Nike Basketball then released the LeBron and Kyrie “Championship Pack” – four NBA Finals-themed PE special edition duos that released in limited numbers to celebrate two of their brightest stars’ accomplishments. The Nike LeBron Soldier 10 garnered plenty of positive attention when compared to the past few LeBron signatures given the LeBron 11, 12, and 13’s bolstered Posite construction proved each of those models were difficult to wear off-the-court in an ever-growing fashion conscious society. Nike’s dedication to innovation pushed alternative lockdown support systems that weren’t reliant on lacing to expand its audience and its FlyEase initiative.
Above: Nike LeBron 14 “Black Ice”, releasing on January 28th for $175
The Nike LeBron 14 previews continue to grow by the day and reaction to the shoes has been much more positive compared to that of previous models. While we’re sure the lightweight nature of the LeBron 14 is meant to help an aging LeBron’s quick first step throughout another season with championship expectations, there’s no doubt that the silhouette will be easier to wear in a casual lifestyle-centric context throughout 2017 – just look at how sleek the upcoming “Black Ice” colorway looks on-feet. There’s also the Paul George signature on the horizon (coming sooner than you think) to add to the ever-growing appeal of Nike Basketball’s star-studded lineup.
The final question is: can basketball shoes be “cool” again? It’s a challenge to bring about organic hype for a multi-billion dollar sport, and the days of color sensory overload are long behind us. We’ll have to wait and see what’s to come from Nike’s hoops imprint in the future, but expect emphasis on the category from the brand leading up to their 8-year NBA apparel contract starting next season.
Additional info and\statistics from Nike Inc., Reuters.com and Darren Rovell for ESPN
