Boston Celtics star and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown had one of the best playoff performances of his career. Helping in bringing another title to the franchise, Brown’s popularity and fame rose to new heights. But does the 3x All-Star have a signature shoe? Moreover, is Brown signed with Nike?
Jaylen Brown was the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. It did not take him long to become an integral part of the Celtics offense and rotation after a stellar showing in the Summer League.
He came into the league signed with Adidas and remained with the brand from 2016 to 2021. Despite being with Adidas for five years, Brown was never offered a signature sneaker of his own, leading him to become a sneaker-free agent that summer.
That year marked Brown’s rising trajectory as he went on to get selected for his first All-Star appearance in 2021. Contrary to popular belief, Jaylen Brown is not signed with Nike as of now.
There were speculations that the Boston Celtics star was under contract with Nike but without a signature shoe deal to his name. The reason behind that is Brown was often spotted donning Kobe’s signature shoe with Nike.
Despite not being a signature athlete for Nike, Brown has often praised the signature Kobe line with the brand. Given his ongoing ‘feud’ with the multi-billion dollar brand, Brown might be donning the Kobe’s but he does not want to give Nike publicity and that is the reason why his shoes did not have the Swoosh logo on them.
Jaylen Brown’s supposed beef with Nike
Jaylen Brown’s first strike against Nike might’ve been back in 2022 when the brand decided to cut ties with Kyrie Irving following his antisemitic remarks. Brown stood up for his former teammate and that may have rubbed off executives at Nike the wrong way.
Brown had also displayed an interest in playing for Team USA a while ago. But recently he was snubbed as a viable replacement for Kawhi Leonard. Instead of Brown, Team USA offered the spot to Derrick White.
This year, the National Team is sponsored by Nike, and that may have played a role in why Jaylen Brown was snubbed. After the news broke out, the Berkeley product went on to call out the brand on X, drawing a lot of attention from notable analysts around the country.
Last year Jaylen Brown spoke about the reason why he chose to remain a sneaker free agent all this while, despite putting up big numbers and making All-Star games.
“I think I’m more inclined of following that sneaker disruptive kind of path. A lot of that deals that athletes get on, it’s kind of stationery. It’s like, ‘Here it is, cut and dry, no creative control, no control over your marketing’ but no input…How your narrative is being projected is not something major companies are really trying to do.”
Brown has been vocal about what he believes is right. That has made him somewhat radioactive to brands and even certain teams in the league. And the best example may be his recent snub to play for Team USA in the upcoming Paris Olympics.