By Tyler Krimpelbein, staff writer
Maybe the biggest achievement for a player is not just winning games.
It may be receiving their own signature shoe to represent them on the court and in stores around the world.
Basketball is a worldwide sport reaching from here in the United States to China.
This season the Nike brand recognized this adding their first representative to the family since LeBron James in 2003, Australian-born Kyrie Irving, point guard of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving, 22 from Melbourne, Australia, came to the United States at a young age and grew up in a basketball community of West Orange, N.J. He fell in love with the game and never looked back.
But it is not just about the representation of having your own signature shoe. The money makes it that much better. Kevin Durant joined Nike in 2007 and makes an average $14 million via Nike. Kobe Bryant, Nike Family since 2003, makes an average
of $34 million a year. LeBron James, also Nike since 2003, makes $42 million per year from his shoes and clothing, according to Forbes.
The fact that shoe companies pay athletes more money sometimes than the league pays the players actually for playing speaks loud for the change how important image is to other people.
It all started with Michael Jordan setting the bar high for athletes to achieve this and made it more of a goal for players. The game of basketball is centered around the fashion world so it makes sense that having your own deal with a company such as Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and others is a big deal.
The most recent players who have received their own signature shoes this season are Damien Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.