After six years with Converse, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making the move to Nike. Nike officially added him as a signature Swoosh athlete, confirmed on June 16th.
SGA played in Nike during his time at the University of Kentucky and his earlier days in the NBA before signing to Nike-owned Converse in 2020. He spent those six years building toward a signature shoe.
His signature shoe, the Shai 001, was unveiled in February 2025 during All-Star weekend. By 2026, he had already paired the sneaker with an NBA Championship, Finals MVP, and a second MVP award.
Nike spoke briefly about the deal after confirming it. The brand said it was excited to build on Shai's impact with Converse as one of the most creative leaders in the game. The move puts him alongside a roster that includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and others.
There is no timeline yet for when Shai's Nike shoe will be unveiled. There is also no word yet on whether the next model will carry Converse or Nike branding.
The switch keeps him within the same corporate family since Nike owns Converse. Moving from one Nike brand to another is still an incredibly rare occurrence. Dwyane Wade made a similar jump from Converse to Jordan Brand back in 2009
SGA Signs Back With Nike
SGA originally signed his endorsement deal with Converse in July 2020 as part of their rebrand. He quickly became the face of Converse Basketball and helped grow the brand's profile in the NBA.
In 2024, he re-signed with Converse and received a promotion to Creative Director of Basketball. That deal also made him a full signature athlete.
The Shai 001 followed soon after and covered a lot of ground quickly. Colorways paid tribute to all aspects of SGA's life, and some, like the "Butter" colorway, resold for multiple times the original price.
Before officially confirming the Nike deal, SGA posted a cryptic Instagram clip of his personal logo spinning rapidly, which appeared to morph into two vertical Nike swooshes. That teaser got plenty of attention before Nike made it official later that day.
