Listing only 9 NBA rookies to have signature shoes (Stephon Marbury as surprise inclusion)

Michael Jordan and LeBron James belong to a rare list of players who got signature shoes in only their rookie NBA year, but did you know that Stephon Marbury also got sneakers that he can call his own in only Year 1?

In fact, only nine rookies got a shoe deal upon entering the NBA.

Here are the other six, as well as the stories of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephon Marbury:

Stephon Marbury and other NBA rookies with signature shoes

1. Stephon Marbury

Let's start with Stephon Marbury himself. Despite being selected fourth overall in the 1996 NBA Draft and being traded quickly to the Minnesota Timberwolves because the Milwaukee Bucks wanted Ray Allen more, Stephon Marbury was so awesome of a talent that he quickly attracted shoe deals.

However, Marbury made a huge shocker when he signed a shoe deal with then-upstart brand And1.

Being the first competitive basketball player to endorse a shoe company more popular in streetball, And1 quickly gave Stephon Marbury his own signature shoes in only his rookie year, the Marbury 1s.

Why did virtually everyone overlook this fact? Because Marbury's stay as an And1 endorser was short-lived.

Stephon Marbury sued the company, stating he was owed about $125,000 in royalties, but both parties eventually resolved the issue.

Stephon Marbury launched his own shoe brand, Starbury, while And1's Marbury 1s were repackaged as The Coney Island Classic.

2. Allen Iverson

Now, let's move to the player drafted ahead of Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen as the number one pick of the stacked 1996 NBA Draft: Allen Iverson.

Like Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson got his own signature sneakers right in his rookie year, but this time, it was with Reebok.

Interestingly enough, Iverson's rookie shoes for Reebok were called "Question", and the following year, his new signature kicks were called "Answer 1". Since then, Iverson's signature shoes have been called "Answer" with a number after it.

3. Shaquille O'Neal

Allen Iverson was not the only player Reebok signed to a shoe deal with instant signature shoes.

Four years before Iverson, in 1992, Reebok also signed that year's number one pick, Shaquille O'Neal, to a shoe deal. O'Neal quickly got his signature shoes in his rookie year, the Shaq Attaq.

Fast forward to the past few years, Adidas bought Reebok, following an intellectual property lawsuit, but later sold it to the Authentic Brands Group, and one of the investors is actually named Shaquille O'Neal -- that Shaq.

4. Michael Jordan

Of course, there's Michael Jordan. He looked dead set on considering signing a shoe deal with Adidas or Converse.

However, a masterful marketing pitch led Jordan to sign with Nike, and the rest, of course, is history.

Fast forward to today: Converse is now owned by Nike, and the main brand in itself has become the top choice, not just for basketball shoes but also for other apparel.

5. LeBron James

If there is one thing that the athletes featured have in common, it's that they're once-in-a-generation talents. Include LeBron James here, too.

LeBron James had been the talk of the town even before he declared for the NBA Draft in 2003 due to a mix of athleticism, scoring arsenal, defensive prowess, and a passing game never seen in someone listed above 6'9", except probably for Magic Johnson.

So when James declared for the draft and eventually became the number one pick, Nike quickly pitched him a shoe deal, which he accepted. Now, the LeBron line is among Nike's best-selling shoes.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon

Like Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon got signature shoes of his own right after he was drafted in 1984.

However, it was not for Nike or former rival turned subsidiary Converse but for Etonic.

Etonic claimed itself to be the world's first sports apparel brand, but mainly due to how successful Nike and Adidas market their products until today, Etonic was well out of the radar.

Back then, Etonic, which had gained prominence through its golf shoes, looked to make itself known in basketball, and Olajuwon thought he would be the perfect guy to market its new basketball apparel.

In an interview in the Nice Kicks podcast, Olajuwon said,

"Etonic was looking for a unique position to introduce their brand to the US market."

Olajuwon's rookie shoes were named "Akeem the Dream," but his endorsement stint with Etonic was short-lived.

Just fresh from winning an NBA title, Olajuwon became an endorser for Spalding's shoes, and his signature shoes with the brand, which is better known for its basketball line, was interestingly named "The Dream."

7. Grant Hill

One might argue that Fila has become synonymous with Grant Hill. After all, it was Hill who brought the shoe brand to greater heights after signing an endorsement deal after he was drafted in 1994, which included having his own signature shoes right at the get-go.

However, Hill admitted that he came close to signing a shoe deal with Nike, even saying that plans were already in place for his grand introduction.

Why did the Nike deal talks get bogged down? Hill said in the Knuckleheads podcast that he was "kind of lowballed."

Upon his father's advice, Hill checked out Fila, and it was history from then on.

8. Jerry Stackhouse

Fila, however, thought Grant Hill might not be enough to further market the brand, so the following year, they reached out to a rookie named Jerry Stackhouse.

Despite getting picked behind Joe Smith and Antonio McDyess, Fila thought Stackhouse could be their next guy, so they gave him his own signature shoes, which now goes by the current name Fila Spaghetti.

In 1997, Stackhouse found himself traded to the Detroit Pistons, and he became teammates with Grant Hill. It's not surprising if the "Motor City" was among Fila's top markets during the late 90s.

9. Lonzo Ball

The most recent rookie to quickly get his own signature shoes was Lonzo Ball.

However, unlike Nike, Fila, Etonic, and Reebok which reached out to the NBA legends above, Ball represented his family business, the Big Baller Brand.

Currently, Lonzo Ball is the majority owner of BBB, where his controversial dad LaVar is listed as the CEO.