Nike added a major client to its roster Wednesday, signing an eight-year contract to provide all of the uniforms for the NBA, the NBA Development League, and the WNBA starting in the 2017-2018 season.
The deal means Nike (NKE) has stolen the contract from one of its biggest rivals, German company Adidas, which signed an 11-year contact with the league in 2006. (Having that contract did not much help Adidas in the U.S. Battle over basketball footwear; Nike still has 96% of that market.)
Unlike Adidas, Nike will get to put its logo on the uniforms it makes, meaning that hoopsters such as LeBron James will have the Nike swoosh on their jerseys.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Nike also manufactures the uniforms for the NFL, and for a number of top-flight soccer clubs in Europe.