Nikola Jokic has left Nike to signed a ‘multi-year’ signature shoe deal with a Chinese basketball brand, called 361 Degrees, as he becomes the third former NBA MVP to leave the U.S. shoemaker, according to news. ‘The Joker’ wore his brand new sneakers, the 361 Degrees Big3 Future CQT, for the first time in a 113-104 win against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. He scored 31 points on 13-of-23 shooting and collected 16 rebounds.
Famous for putting his wedding ring on the laces of his basketball shoes, Jokic joins Nuggets teammate Aaron Gordon as a member of the Chinese brand. The Joker wearing the 361 Degrees’ Big3 Future CQT in a 114-103 win against the Raptors, Wed.
The Big Future CQTs are yet to be sold in store across America, but are available for purchase at 361degreeshop.com for $300. The shoe, seen as one of 361 Degrees’ flagship products, has a synthetic and mesh build, and is incorporated with Carbon Critical and SOARSYSTEM technology.
Regarded as one of the best centers of all time, Jokic joins Steph Curry and James Harden as the third former NBA MVP to end his deal with Nike. ‘The Beard’ left Nike for Adidas in 2015, while Curry had worn the American brand throughout the first four years of his professional career, but then signed with Under Amour when his first sneaker deal was ready to expire in 2013.
Another big personality in the sports world rumored to be leaving ‘The Swoosh’ is U.S. golfer, Tiger Woods, who has made roughly $500million from his sponsorship agreement with the brand since first signing with Nike in 1996. Between that signing and the present day, Nike has gone from producing golf balls, golf clubs, and other golf accessories to just making clothing. That’s forced Woods to go from using Nike’s clubs and balls to using other equipment.
This year will mark his 27th year with the popular shoemaker. But his deal is on the verge of running out – with a ten-year, $200million deal he signed back in 2013 set to expire. He’s also transitioned to wearing Foot-Joy golf shoes, moving away from a product that Nike still makes. When asked about the relationship between himself and the company at the PNC, Woods replied, ‘I’m still wearing their product’. When pressed for a follow-up, he repeated his answer.
Woods now uses TaylorMade clubs and Bridgestone balls. He’s also notably made a return to his Ping-gripped Scotty Cameron putter over the Nike Method putter he used for a period of time.
