Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant could be the next NBA player to get his own signature shoe
Ja Morant is one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. With him set to be one of the future faces of the NBA, it only makes sense that he will be getting his own signature shoe within the next couple of years.
Coming into the league, Morant signed an endorsement deal with Nike. This deal was signed shortly before the 2019 NBA Draft where Morant was selected second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. The details of the contract with Nike were undisclosed, but it’s believed to be a multi-million, multi-year deal.
It would make sense that his shoe contract is similar in length to his NBA contract, which will expire at the end of the 2022-23 season— at which point, his new max-contract will begin.
With this initial Nike contract possibly coming to an end in the near future, it would only make sense that Nike and Morant come together and finally release the signature shoe that Grizzlies fans have been waiting for.
There has been an influx of young talent flooding into the NBA in the past few years, with Morant being one of the players to rise to the top. Despite the fan base he has built and the remarkable level of talent that he has shown on the court, shoe companies usually take some time before they give a player their own shoe.
Currently, over the entire NBA, around 20 players have a signature shoe. It took until last season for both Luka Doncic and Jason Tatum to unveil their respective shoes— two multi-time All-Stars and All-NBA players.
As a result of the time and effort that it takes to put together a release like this, it may not be until this season or even the 2023 season before Ja Morant releases his signature shoe. However, it is very hard to believe that he is not already in talks with Nike to get the process started, if not already working on the shoe.
It is clear that Morant has already made it up the totem pole at Nike, as he has been featured in a handful of their ads already. One of these marketing campaigns was for the Nike Adapt BB shoe. If not this season, Morant will likely be unveiling his own shoe in the 2023-2024 season unless there are any major changes that occur.
There are players who have been with Nike much longer than Ja Morant and they maybe release a signature shoe before him. Two of those players include Devin Booker and Anthony Davis. Booker has developed into a top shooting guard in Phoenix and has been signed with Nike shortly before he was drafted in 2015. Davis has been with Nike for around a decade and, if it was not for his injury history throughout his career, he too would have a signature shoe.
The question of Morant’s status on getting his own shoe is more of a “when” rather than an “if.”
It is clear that Nike has a tendency to take their time in giving even their biggest names their own shoes, and Ja is not an exception to this.
Stay patient Grizzlies fans, Morant will have his own signature shoe soon enough.