Nike snatches NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Converse

Converse has been on the market for over a century and is best known for its iconic Chuck Taylor All Star trainers, which were once worn on the court by some of basketball’s greatest stars and remain one of the most recognisable products in the sports footwear industry to this day.

“We are delighted to welcome Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Nike Basketball family,” said a spokesperson for the sportswear group, who also emphasised their intention to “build on the extraordinary impact Shai has had with Converse as one of the game’s most influential creative leaders”, noting that the move comes after two consecutive seasons in which he was named NBA MVP.

The athlete had signed with Converse in 2020, having initially signed a deal with Nike upon his NBA debut in 2018. In 2024, he renewed his partnership with Converse with a multi-year extension, also taking on the role of creative director of the basketball division, with responsibility for product development and the brand’s image. The collaboration had been presented as one of the most ambitious projects aimed at bringing Converse back to the forefront of the basketball scene.

The player’s first signature shoe, the SHAI 001, was unveiled in February 2025 and subsequently released in a range of colourways. The model, featuring a padded upper and a futuristic design, was well received by fans and symbolised a new direction for Converse Basketball.

The change of team – or at least in terms of sponsorship – did not come as a bolt from the blue. In recent days, Gilgeous-Alexander had fuelled rumours of a change of sponsor with a series of cryptic videos and posts on social media, in which his personal logo gradually transformed into Nike’s iconic ‘Swoosh’, hinting at the imminent official announcement.

The move marks one of the most significant developments in recent years in the sports sponsorship market. Deals of this kind within the same group are, in fact, quite rare: in the past, similar cases have involved Dwyane Wade, who moved from Converse to Jordan Brand in 2009, and Jayson Tatum, who left Nike in 2019 to become one of Jordan Brand’s leading ambassadors.

Among the roster of leading NBA stars associated with the Nike group, the group can count on a core of top-class athletes who represent both the brand’s continuity and its generational evolution. Among them, LeBron James and Kevin Durant stand out, both bound by lifetime contracts that have cemented their status as global icons and pillars of the Nike Basketball division. Alongside them is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the star of a fully active partnership and a symbol of the brand’s new era with the “Zoom Freak” range. Representing the Jordan Brand universe, which is owned by Nike, is Jayson Tatum, now one of the leading figures in the brand’s technical and commercial strategy with a dedicated signature shoe, whilst Devin Booker rounds off the group of contemporary leaders with his “Book” range, now a permanent fixture in the company’s performance footwear catalogue.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s move to Nike now highlights the challenge facing the management: to revitalise Converse whilst preserving its historic identity, whilst the group focuses its main commercial and marketing resources on the brands and athletes capable of delivering faster growth in an increasingly competitive global sportswear market.