There is a trend away from a monopolized and crowded sneaker endorsement market, with several brands now re-entering the basketball courts and culture scene. Not everyone can dream of being as big as Jordan, and even the best players in today’s game have found a ceiling to the traditional sneaker endorsement model. Converse and Kelly Oubre Jr are leading a new approach to the endorsement game.

Jordan not only started the trend, he continues to set the benchmark with with his branding and endorsements. Kobe and Lebron followed, with both expected to continue their respective sneaker lines well into their post playing careers.

Jordan’s have taken hold in street wear fashion circles, to the point some argue Jordan is over doing it. Kobe’s, Lebron’s and KD’s are more recent models serving as dominate lines on the court. Some early editions from Kobe and Lebron are receiving retro treatment already.

Kawhi Leonard is perhaps wanting to play in LA so he can demand more in his next shoe negotiation. Rumors says Leonard turned down 4 years, $22 million. Lebron got a billion lifetime, while James Harden can clear $200 million. Who does a player play for, the team or the shoe company? Depends on who is paying the most. Now, with Lebron in LA, that market is star saturated sneaker-wise.

But those top 15 players are all trying to split a few specialized, top end, shoe endorsement package pie. There are almost 500 players on NBA rosters to start a season. The average age of the NBA player is under 27. Over 60 foreign players will grace a court this season.

This is a younger, more worldly league in every way. The old heads have a cartel on the on court styles. The Youngbloods, (even stars like Kyrie, KD, and Steph Curry) will have to find a new path towards off court relevancy. Brands new to the scene will have to court endorsers as well as eyes accustomed to Swooshes and a few stripes, even more so than how Under Armour courted Curry.

The shoe market in general may need a new approach for the new breed of players to make their marks off the court. Only so many ways to control the market and hand out $200 million like adidas gave Harden.

The New Approach, The New Generation

Puma’s new approach, which looks a lot like ‘Hire Jay-Z’ and ‘throw around money’, earned them partnerships with Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley. Both will get limited edition shoes and some player branded apparel.

New Balance teamed with the LeBron and Maverick Carter-led Klutch Sports, finding high school recruit Darius Bazley a million dollar internship to basically work out, learn the idustry, and design his own shoe for use as an NBA rookie.

Kyle Kuzma has a deal with GOAT, which gives him a freedom to wear basically anything this side of those reflective Yeezy’s.

“Now that the NBA has removed restrictions on the colorways we can wear on court, I can be as expressive as I want,” Kuzma said

Converse is pushing the envelope even further. Converse is allowing Kelly Oubre Jr. to develop his own line and style, while being able to sport Nike’s during games. (Converse is a Nike brand.)

It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. Introducing Kelly Oubre Jr. Welcome to the Converse Family @KELLYOUBREJR pic.twitter.com/Mqk30CuaDB — Converse (@Converse) November 16, 2018

Oubre Jr. is not a transcendental star on the court in the way of Jordan, Lebron or Iverson. Oubre Jr. is however, on the leading edge of the new player movement toward activism, social media outreach, and general connectivity with their fans that the last generation left to Public Relations types.

Music and fashion are the two best effective and accepted ways to mass communicate. Oubre Jr. has irons in both fires, which makes him a potential star for Converse. Half of Oubre Jr’s fans on Instagram or at a fashion show probably could not name the last team Oubre Jr. score on.

Now players are consulting with fashion coordinators for the arena walk in more than they are fretting having their own shoe line. The players would rather a wider range of expression be available, since the endorsement market is becoming more deflated on the court.

“Every game since my rookie year, I came in and just always wanted to look nice and always wanted to outdo myself,” said Oubre. “[Style isn’t] about anybody else, it’s about how you feel in what you’re wearing….It’s a different vibration when it comes to someone who is trying to reinvent themselves in something that they started,” said Oubre. “It’s not necessarily someone trying to come in and disrupt the game, or someone trying to step onto the scene as newcomers again. [Converse] started this, and it’s cool to be a part of something with the exclusivity to work with this company, start a partnership and a foundation.”

Basketball is far more profitable for players, endorsement-wise, than every other sport. Besides for soccer basketball has the greatest global reach. And it seems the players and brands will be thinking more of out-of-the-box instead of on-the-court in discussing future partnerships.

This should help more players to find avenues for stylish expression, which will serve to combat the “Shut up and just play” comments in American political discourse. Old brands with roots in hoops can help basketball players show the world they are more than just basketball entertainers.

“It’s old school. It started with basketball, then it went to the rock stage, then it went to people wearing them without any thought to what the foundation of the brand was,” Oubre Jr. said of Converse.

And marketing more players, through more avenues, is great for the players and the game, if not sneaker culture. More players with fashion deals will mean more options in the marketplace. As for now, this new breed gets to blaze a unique trail. Oubre Jr. will be the only expected player sporting Converse on an NBA court his season.

“Everyone knows me and I’m a different individual,” Oubre Jr. said. “Converse is reinventing themselves in the basketball world. I will be the only athlete this year flying the flag. I’m very excited to be able to represent.”

Oubre Jr. is hardly the biggest name on the stat sheet, and other players on the team have/had bigger shoes deals. Oubre Jr. might not even start some nights, but he is very young and has never lost on the fashion runways before and after games. With the right off court moves paired with a solid NBA game, Oubre Jr. has a chance to be the more relevant name on the Washington D.C. roster.

Players are more social conscience, and want more freedom. Oubre Jr. can expand his lifestyle brands though this collaboration, while also being an ambassador for both Converse and Nike on the court.

Russell Westbrook has a lifestyle type deal with Jordan brand, but Westbrook is such high-fashion that he goes beyond even Gucci. Everyday accessibility is where the money is at, and more partnerships like these bringing Puma, New Balance, and Converse back into the fold are a welcome thing.

Players are going past just having summer camps. Consumers as well as players are looking for authenticity more than anything from brands, on the design and the retail ends of the bargain. With the new approach to the market segment, and sneaker culture on the upswing, many new collabs of old classics can be expected in the near future.