As one of the league’s elder statesmen, the Houston Rockets‘ Kevin Durant has served as a role model and mentor to rising NBA talent, both on and off the court. During an exclusive interview released November 17 on his sports and entertainment brand Boardroom, the four-time Olympian praised yet another budding star, Cade Cunningham, who is set to become a signature Nike athlete.
ESPN insider Shams Charania announced that Cunningham, the No.1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, will become the sixth active NBA player with a Nike signature shoe deal. His signature sneaker is projected to release during the 2026-27 season.
Cunningham will soon join a star-studded list that includes Durant, LeBron James, Ja Morant, Devin Booker and Giannis Antetokounmpo as active players with a signature shoe.
Cade Cunningham Is the Perfect Choice for a Sneaker Deal
To land an endorsement deal with Nike, you have to be pretty darn good. But to earn a signature Nike shoe deal in your namesake, one must be a generational talent. Cunningham has proven to be the latter. Fresh off a stellar 2024-25 campaign in which he secured his first All-NBA selection and helped snap the Detroit Pistons’ five-year playoff drought, Cunningham seems primed for another All-Star season.
The former Oklahoma State standout is averaging a career-high 27.5 PPG and 9.9 assists while leading Detroit to an Eastern Conference-best 12-2 record. Dating back to the beginning of last season, only Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have more games with 25+ points and 7+ assists.
At just 24 years old, Cunningham has already established himself as a premier NBA talent, and his six-year Nike deal should only reinforce that status.
Cade Cunningham Could Soon Be the Face of the NBA
When Cunningham revealed that he would soon have his own signature Nike sneaker, Durant was quick to praise the All-Star guard, stating that this deal is monumental for his legacy.
“To get your own shoe, that’s so big for your legacy,” Durant told Cunningham. “To become a signature athlete at Nike.. that’s incredible. You have one of the coldest logos I’ve ever seen, so I know you’re gonna make some dope stuff.”
Durant, who has had 18 signature Nike shoes since joining the brand in 2007, also advised Cunningham to enjoy the creative process.
“Make sure you are hands-on with all the designs,” Durant told the Pistons star. “Your shoes are gonna be on the ground forever, even when you are done playing. You’re a young legend to me. You’re setting the next generation up, and people are looking up to you now.”
As retirement looms for aging stars like Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry, the mantle for face of the NBA will soon be up for grabs – a void that Cunningham could fill.
With an All-NBA and All-Star selection already to his credit, and now one of the franchise cornerstones for Nike, the Pistons star could soon become a poster boy for the league. At minimum, Cunningham figures to be an integral piece of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team moving forward.
It’s unclear whether some of today’s legends will be active in 2028, but Cunningham figures to be in those plans.
In a sense, the conversation between the former No. 1 pick and Durant felt like a proverbial passing of the torch from one cultured megastar to the other.
Like Cunningham, Durant landed a massive endorsement Nike deal early in his career. At 19, Durant inked a seven-year, $60 million pact with Nike after the 2007 season, the second-largest rookie endorsement deal at the time behind LeBron James.
Eighteen years, four scoring titles and two Finals MVP trophies later, Durant is still rocking Nikes while dominating the NBA landscape.
Durant can also relate to Cunningham’s experience of being handed the keys to a franchise early and ushering in a winning era for his respective organization.
Their shared experiences make Durant’s high praise for Cunningham and his upcoming shoeline more authentic. Perhaps one day Cunningham will share a stake as the face of the NBA, the same way Durant has for nearly two decades.
For now, he can focus his efforts on designing his debut Nike shoe and pioneering the Pistons back to the postseason.
Kevin Durant Sounds Off on Pistons Star’s Nike Deal
