Price Low To High Price High To Low 12 items per page 48 items per page 96 items per page span 2 3 4 span 2 3 4Oklahoma City Thunder star and NBA MVP Kevin Durant will stay with Nike, reaching a deal with the sports apparel giant that will rival Under Armour's 10-year, $250-million offer, a person familiar with negotiations told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about Durant's decision. Durant's seven-year deal worth at least $60 million is expiring, and Under Armour moved in with a lucrative offer. Industry insider Matt Powell, a shoe analyst for SportsOneSource, called Under Armour's pitch to Durant "unprecedented." While the final dollar amount is expected to rival and perhaps surpass what Under Armour offered, this is a coup for Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, which proved it can procure a financially significant endorsement deal. The 10-year deal with Nike has the potential to reach $300 million and includes a $50 million retirement package, two people familiar with the terms of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

Durant signed the deal Saturday in Texas. Under Armour is based in Baltimore, near Durant's Maryland hometown, and is trying to grab a bigger share of the basketball shoe market, which is dominated by Nike and Nike's Jordan Brand. wedding shoes outlet ukThose two companies control almost 95% of the basketball shoe apparel market.ladies nike shoes white Under Armour believed Durant could help it chip away at Nike's stranglehold and increase its exposure worldwide, and Powell believed Under Armour's offer to Durant, which included shares of stock, was just too big for Durant to turn down.what are the best running shoes for wide feet But one factor had been underplayed: Durant loves Nike and wanted to stay if Nike could put together a comparable – maybe not the same – offer, a person familiar with Durant's thinking told USA TODAY Sports. mens top trail running shoes

The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.nike running shoes best selling Coming out of college in 2007, Durant turned down more money from Adidas and signed with Nike, and Nike remained Durant's favored brand. best sport shoes for jogging in indiaPowell said Nike's best chance to retain Durant would be to come in with a competitive offer and count on Durant's preference for Nike. Powell said Nike had just begun to make money off Durant's shoes, and he said he wasn't sure the company was willing to extend such a large offer to keep Durant. Powell said last week that Nike "has let some athletes walk because Nike wasn't willing to pay big money. Nike's sending a clear signal that they're not seeing the return on investment on big shoe contracts."

Last year, Under Armour pried Golden State Warriors All-Star Steph Curry from Nike, and two years ago, Dwyane Wade left Jordan Brand for Chinese apparel manufacturer Li-Ning. Nike has LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, but with Bryant closing in on retirement, keeping Durant would mitigate Bryant's departure and ensure the company has the two best players in the world. ESPN first reported Durant planned to stay with Nike. GALLERY: Kevin Durant through the years Last Slide Next Slide Lifestyle & Entertainment Juice 11 Things Hardly Anyone Knows About Nike Nike turned 50 this year. To celebrate, UK gym My Fitness Boutique has created this infographic to celebrate its five decades in business. We’ve picked out some of the more interesting factlets from the infographic and a few snippets from around the web many people may never have known about the world’s most famous sports brand. 1. Nike was originally named Blue Ribbon Sports and was founded in 1964 and initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger (now known as ASICS).

It officially become Nike Inc. in 1971. 2. The company was founded with just $1,200 in the bank. It was created by Bill Bowerman — a track and field coach — and Phil Knight, a middle distance runner from Portland who was enrolled in the University of Oregon. 3. Knight had originally wanted to call the company “Dimension 6.” The Nike name comes from the Greek goddess of victory, and it’s pronounced “ny’-kee.” Nike’s first employee, Jeff Johnson, came up with the name. 4. The first Nike shoes were made inside a waffle iron. Bowerman’s first eureka moment for footwear innovation came in 1971 when he and his wife were making waffles for breakfast: it sparked an idea for a grooved pattern on the sole of trainers to help athletes grip running tracks. It spawned the “Nike Waffle Trainer,” which was patented in 1974 (at the expense of his wife Barbara’s waffle iron), Nike explains on its press site. 5. The Nike “swoosh” was designed by Portland State University student Carolyn Davidson, for just $35 (just over $200 in today’s currency).

At a later stage she was given stock which is now worth over $640,000. 6. The slogan “Just Do It” was inspired by serial killer Gary Gilmore who said “Let’s do it” just before he was executed by a firing squad in 1977. The revelation was made in 2009 documentary about advertising called “Art & Copy”. 7. The first “Just Do It” campaign launched in 1988. The ad featured Walt Stack, a then-80-year-old running icon lumbering across the Golden Great Bridge. 8. Despite the fact that he hasn’t played professionally since 2003, Michael Jordan still reportedly earns $60 million annually in royalties from Nike each year, according to Forbes.  That makes him the athlete with — by far — the biggest Nike endorsement deal. 9. Romanian tennis professional Ilie Nastase, “the Bucharest Buffoon,” was the first athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Nike, in 1972. Nastase was a gifted tennis player but also became infamous for his erratic temperament and was lumped with several fines, suspensions and disqualifications throughout his career.