NEW YORK — Nike‘s new chief executive officer Elliott Hill made the cross-country trek to New York on Monday night to help the company announce an extended long-term global agreement with the NBA and WNBA and the NBA G League.
During a 90-minute presentation at its New York City headquarters, the company paraded out some of the sport’s big names including WNBA stars A’ja Wilson, Sue Bird and Caitlin Clark, who joined virtually, Sabrina Ionescu, who led the New York Liberty to the WNBA championship on Sunday night, along with NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also appeared on camera. The athletes discussed their love of the sport and offered up suggestions on how it could continue to grow. That included serving as role models for young girls and boys, and embracing the newfound energy surrounding the sport, particularly the WNBA, which just capped off a season where it set viewership and attendance records.
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Part of maintaining the momentum will fall to Nike, which has extended its rights over 12 additional seasons to design and manufacture NBA, WNBA and G League uniforms, on-court apparel and fan apparel.
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“Nike has always been more than a league sponsor — we’re a strategic partner with an unwavering commitment to growing the game, alongside the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League,” Hill said. “Our collective power, global reach and genuine love for the game will only continue to create new pathways and opportunities for players and fans.”
At the event, the CEO, who is being charged to reignite the spark at the country’s largest sports brand, said that over the past 50-plus years of Nike’s existence, “it’s been very much about putting the athlete at the center of the conversation. That helps drive the innovation around product, the storytelling, etc. So we’ll continue to do that. It’s always been about growth and growing the sport around the world. As it relates to our partnership, it’s very much in the same vein…to try to extend the game of basketball beyond the elite athlete to grassroots, men’s, women’s, boys, girls, different formats, three on three — go down the list. Internationally is also a big piece of how we grow the game of basketball. And I would add moving beyond just on-court to lifestyle and the culture of basketball.”
The deal also includes new content initiatives, a renewed commitment to grassroots basketball, as well as the continued development of a joint membership program that delivers benefits to fans of the brands through products, content and experiences, Nike said.
Nike Inc. and the National Basketball Players Association also extended their group license agreement, making the sports brand an official partner of the NBPA.
“This partnership extension reflects our enduring commitment to growing the game, championing basketball culture and supporting the next generation of athletes,” said Sarah Mensah, president of the Jordan Brand. “We put athletes, and the game, at the center of all we do, and this extension serves to further galvanize hoopers behind a shared pursuit of greatness as only Nike Inc. and our partners can.”
Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player of all time and a longtime Nike partner, was not in attendance in person or on screen.
“Nike is inextricably linked to basketball and has helped fuel the growth and innovation around our sport for decades,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was on stage during the event. “With an added focus on youth basketball, our expanded partnership will create even more opportunities for aspiring players to learn and compete at all levels and for fans of all ages to engage with the NBA and WNBA.”
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who was also in attendance, said, “Since our league’s inception, Nike has committed to a shared vision for girls and women’s basketball. Our continued partnership is an opportunity to fortify avenues for development and enhance touch points across our dynamic fanbase, while globally showcasing the WNBA.”
At the event, Engelbert said the heightened interest in the game represents a “transformational year for the WNBA.” Not only was interest in the game high, this popularity also spread to fashion with the female players now getting attention for their tunnel outfits like their male counterparts in the NBA.
Next season, Engelbert said, there will more opportunities for the WNBA to shine. Plans call for extending the championship series from five games to seven, the league will now play 44 games rather than 40 and two new teams will make their appearance, in Portland, Ore., and Toronto. This means that an additional 48 roster spots will open up for female players.
Heidi O’Neill, president of consumer product and brand for Nike, agreed that 2024 will become known as the game changer for women’s basketball. Not only is the sport itself finding fans, but players such as Wilson and Clark and their unique stories are also resonating with old and young alike. “To be able to play in this moment with everyone loves and supports [the sport],” Clark said, was a dream come true for someone who grew up loving the game.
To draw more young people to the court, Nike and the leagues will introduce programs and resources that aim to make youth basketball accessible and scalable, provide access to coaching, training, on-court development curriculum and playing standards to youth of all backgrounds and abilities. They will also create basketball programming and resources designed to increase access to the sport and improve the playing experience for girls of all levels and work to enhance player, coach and program development opportunities in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.
Nike will also expand its presence during marquee league events including the NBA All-Star, WNBA All-Star, the NBA Draft Combine, the WNBA Draft, WNBA Changemakers and other events.
Nike has been an NBA partner since 1992 and the official on-court outfitter since the 2017-18 season. It has been a marketing partner of the WNBA since its inception in 1997 and a marketing partner of the NBA G League since the 2017-18 season.