"Showed great respect to me" - Nikola Jokic addresses choosing 361 over Nike

Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic addressed his decision to switch footwear sponsors. He left Nike and signed a signature shoe deal with Chinese brand 361°.

The Denver Nuggets star said that the brand showed him tremendous respect throughout the whole process, emphasizing his role as the face of the brand.

"361 showed great respect to me. These guys want to help me, use me, however you want to say. And whenever I read them, they're really, really popular.

"They're really an up-scaling brand. Maybe I can help them too in some way. It's the quality of the shoe that I really like. They made a shoe that the comfort is there."

While the specifics of the new deal haven't been disclosed, according to ESPN's Nick DePaula, it's a lucrative multi-year contract.

Jokic's decision mirrors a broader trend in the NBA, where Chinese sportswear brands are gaining traction in the North American market.

These brands are increasingly offering competitive deals and incorporating cutting-edge technology into their products, attracting top-tier athletes like Jokic and reshaping the competitive landscape of the sportswear industry.

While fans wait for his official signature shoe, Jokic will be rocking the brand's latest basketball shoe, the Big3 Future High.

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Nikola Jokic's Nuggets teammates among four NBA players also wearing 361° shoes

Founded in 2003 in China, 361° started with running shoes but now offer a wide variety of athletic clothes and basketball shoes too. As a global company, 361° gear can be found in over 6,000 stores.

With Nikola Jokic as their marquee player, the brand has made its biggest signing to date. It has been gradually establishing itself as an emerging force in basketball, evident in its signings of players like Aaron Gordon and Spencer Dinwiddie.

Currently, only four NBA players wear 361° sneakers, two of whom are Nikola Jokic's Nuggets teammates, Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, according to KixStats.

Player	Team
Nikola Jokic	Denver Nuggets
Aaaron Gordon	Denver Nuggets
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	Denver Nuggets
Spencer Dinwiddie	Los Angeles Lakers

Leveraging Jokic's MVP status could bolster 361°'s global presence, but uncertainties remain.

Nevertheless, one fact is undeniable. With Jokic now part of the team, the future holds intriguing possibilities for the Chinese brand, and fans eagerly await what's next on the horizon.