Nike ^[1] , one of America's leading sports equipment and apparel companies, first came out with basketball shoes in 1972, with the Nike Bruin and Nike Blazer. The Blazer was worn by NBA players Geoff Petrie and later by George Gervin. ^[2] "Nike Basketball Shoe Timeline". A large draw to Nike's basketball shoe success was the lightweight leather vs. canvas of other brands' basketball shoes.

The Jordan Brand

In 1984, Air Jordans, a personal pair of basketball shoes were worn by Michael Jordan ^[3] during his rookie season in the NBA. His Air Jordans were known for their vibrant colors, helping set the Jordan brand apart from the rest. During the 1985 season, Jordan was fined five thousand dollars by the NBA for each game he sported the shoes. Nike gladly paid for those fines. ^{[4] [5]} Air Jordans were first available to the public starting in 1985. Nike later produced a commercial for the original Air Jordan shoes, in which Spike Lee ^[6] played Mars Blackmon. ^[7] Lee was trying to find the source that gave Jordan his incredible basketball abilities, and came up with the trademark conclusion, "It's Gotta be the Shoes!" In 19Prior to the new Jordan model, Nike had produced and sold over 30 basketball shoe models. Although the Jordan brand started with the shoes, Nike extended the Jordan brand by adding apparel to its collection.

Air Max

Using momentum from the recent Jordan brand, in 1987, Nike came out with Nike Air Max, with visible air bags inside the shoes. These shoes were campaigned by a commercial, with The Beatles' ^[8] "Revolution" playing in the background.

Mike vs. Lebron

Many people compare Lebron James ^[9] , four time NBA Most Valuable Player, to Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. Nike has signed shoe contracts with multiple players over the years, but the current headliner is Lebron James, who in 2013 led all NBA players in shoe sales. Similarly to Jordan, Nike has used James as a large contributor to their different media outlets.

The "Hyper" Series

In 2008, Nike launched a new "Hyper" series of shoes that helped define quickness and vertical leap. The United States Olympic basketball team, led by Kobe Bryant also wore the Hyperdunks. Also in 2008, Bryant was filmed jumping over a moving Aston Martin in the Hyperdunks. In 2009, the Hypermax was debuted with on-court action displayed by names such as Drew Gooden, Chris Bosh, and Carlos Boozer.

Players to wear Nike NBA Players: 196 All Stars: 32 NBA Champions: 23 Olympic Medalists: 19