Move over Adidas, because Nike will be the official maker of NBA uniforms and apparel starting the 2017-2018 season, the league announced Wednesday.
For the better part of a decade, Adidas has been supplying the NBA with all of the league’s official apparel including the jersey T-shirts and the long-sleeve warm-ups. But Adidas was forced out when other competitors came into the bidding process.
For the measly price of $125 million annually to the NBA, Nike gets to put its logo on league gear for at least the next eight years. That nine figure sum, more than double Adidas’ offer, is the reason Adidas was forced to bow out.
“This partnership with Nike represents a new paradigm in the structure of our global merchandising business,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a released statement. “As our exclusive on court apparel provider, Nike will be instrumental in our collective efforts to grow the game globally while applying the latest in technology to the design of our uniforms and on court products”
This should be good for both the league and Nike. Nike gets a boost in marketing and another leg up on the competition — like it needed it — and the NBA gets new jersey and apparel designs. This is a classic win-win.
