Nike, Inc. has announced that Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has changed sponsors, making the switch from Converse to Nikes Jordan Brand, effectively ending what had become a soured relationship between the NBA scoring champ and the NKE subsidiary.
With the move to the Jumpman label, Wade joins fellow Jordan hoops endorsers Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Wade had three years remaining on his contract with Converse, where he was the centerpiece of efforts to rejuvenate the companys once-prominent basketball business. However, the 2006 NBA finals MVP and former Marquette star rarely wore his newest signature shoe, the “Wade 4,” during the 2009 campaign. Wade instead opted for an older model.
The move appeared to be foreshadowed by Wade himself on his Twitter feed late Thursday, when he posted “”good news coming…..stay tuned.” Also, he was seen wearing apparel emblazoned with the Jumpman logo at a charity event last week.
Another domino that will fall as part of this move is that Jordan will replace Converse as the official uniform and footwear provider for mens basketball at Marquette. It is not known if any other schools will be affected by this change.
