Endorsement Profile: Kevin Durant
Posted by ZA on October 14, 2008
Athlete: Kevin Durant
Sport: Basketball
League: NBA
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Agent: Aaron Goodwin (Goodwin Management Group)
Age: 20 (September 29, 1988)
Rank in SI’s 50 richest athletes: 13
Endorsement value: $21,650,000
Kevin Durant photo from NBA.com
Kevin Durant endorsement deals (thru Oct. 2008):
* EA Sports
* Gatorade
* Nike
* Upper Deck
Durant’s first endorsement deal was with Upper Deck. Durant’s deal with Nike was well publicized because he reportedly turned down a more lucrative deal with Adidas (rumored at $70 million) to sign with the Swoosh. The reason? He said he’s worn Nike his entire life and wants to create more affordable line of shoes, priced between $69 and $79 per pair. Durant signed a 7-year, $60 million deal with Nike in 2007, that included a $12 million dollar signing bonus. Durant was the first NBA rookie to ever be selected to endorse Gatorade.
Kevin Durant’s endorsement potential:
Kevin Durant is an extremely talented basketball player, many are comparing him to Scottie Pippen but with a better offensive game. Recall Pippen was voted one of the top 50 NBA players of all-time and won multiple NBA championships; so that is high praise for young Durant. Durant also possesses a humble attitude and stays out of trouble. Comes off as a little shy, but that’s almost refreshing when compared to many of today’s more egotistical athletes.
The ceiling is extremely high for Durant, if he keeps on his current path he’ll be one of the top pitchmen in the NBA. He’s already lined up some of the premiere deals available for a basketball star, and KD is following in the endorsement foot steps of his idol Michael Jordan. Gatorade & Nike were the cornerstones of MJ’s endorsement empire, and Durant has already locked in to both. With a strong NBA sophomore campaign I expect he’ll land a new slew of deals that could include fast food and vehicle endorsements. Keep an eye out for him and Greg Oden to do some work together in commercials in the future. Oden and Durant shared the stage at the 2007 NBA draft, so it’s a natural to pair them up on some deals.
Kevin Durant 5-star endorsement rating: 4.5
Kevin Durant best commercial (NBA Stores):
OKC Thunder finally put their name on display « BrandDunk said
[...] guy is starting to talk about it…a lot! If he ever gets situated in a major media market Durant’s endorsement potential could go through the roof. Because besides being an extremely talented ballplayer, he’s a [...]
NBA star on the rise: Kevin Durant « BrandDunk said
[...] also expect the endorsement dollars to start to flow once KD is in a major market (current Kevin Durant endorsement deals). His current deals with EA Sports, Gatorade, Nike and Upper Deck should only grow bigger. And [...]