Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his back-to-back MVP but failed to lead his team to another NBA Finals. Despite that, Nike has cashed in to sign SGA again. At first, the Oklahoma City Thunder star teased a video, and then the Swoosh brand confirmed the switch.

Shai teased a return to Nike via an Instagram story video where his stylized “S” logo morphs into the Swoosh, amid his recent MVP seasons and SHAI 001 success at Converse. Athletes switching brands is not uncommon; recently, Stephen Curry signed a new 10-year deal with Li-Ning after being a sneaker-free agent since his departure from Under Armour. But it is rare for transfers to occur within the same corporate family. Converse operates as a subsidiary of Nike, Inc., making the switch unusual but not unprecedented.

Nick De Paula, a footwear industry veteran reporter, tweeted, “Athletes shifting subsidiary brands are technically a contractual option within companies, but rarely happen. Recent key ones: 2020: Shai from Nike to Converse 2019: Jayson Tatum from Nike to Jordan 2013: John Wall from Reebok to Adidas 2009: Dwyane Wade from Converse to Jordan.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played in Nike during his time at the University of Kentucky and his earlier days in the NBA. He signed that deal ahead of the 2018 NBA draft in 2020 to join Nike-owned Converse. After teasing the switch, a few hours later, Nike confirmed the move.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Nike Basketball signature family. Coming after back-to-back MVP seasons, we are excited to build on Shai’s incredible impact with Converse as one of the most creative leaders in the game.”

With Converse, SGA signed a new endorsement deal in 2024 and was also named creative director of Converse Basketball. In fact, reports revealed that the two-time MVP will pocket $15 million a year on average. Shaquille O’Neal was interested and even wanted to pursue signing the Thunder star to Reebok, but the move never materialized.

Since then, his shoes have been a hit in the market, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his debut signature shoe- SHAI 001- at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. During this year’s WCF, SGA even debuted the SHAI 001 “Slither,” which has a desert snakeskin pattern anchored by solid khaki throughout the outsole. But now the move to Nike means Shai can potentially have a flagship Nike signature line. However, there are no confirmed reports on when those shoes will drop.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s impressive work with Converse can help Nike

The title of creative director of Converse Basketball was not honorary. SGA worked on the designs, which impressed the executives.

“He literally sent us a picture of the shoe. He drew the picture, he drew the shoe,” Converse executive Adrian Stelly told Jaden Thompson of Women’s Wear Daily in 2025. “Literally, that young man. It’s definitely not a tag line. It’s actual work.”

The Swoosh brand definitely needs to inject creativity and will cash in on the popularity of SGA,

“Nike’s revenue has been really down, and Nike’s stock has been obliterated over the last 24 months, 18 to 24 months,” ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said in April. “And this analyst at UBS, by the way, the analyst at UBS, doesn’t care. They’re writing to their investors, and they basically said, part of the reason Nike is selling fewer basketball shoes is that basketball players aren’t as popular as they used to be.”

After six years with Converse, Nike officially added him as a signature Swoosh athlete.