DeMar DeRozan and the Swoosh have reportedly come to terms on a new contract agreement that would extend their partnership for another four years. According to The Athletic’s Sham Charania, Nike has plans to keep DeRozan the face of the Kobe line due to the Compton-born forward’s long-standing love for the line.
Fresh off making All-NBA second team, Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan is signing a new four-year deal with Nike that keeps him as the featured face of Kobe Bryant’s iconic line, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 1, 2022
Following Bryant’s retirement in 2016, DeMar became the foremost advocate of the Mamba’s line and to this day continues to pull out new colorways of various iterations of Kobe’s line. DeMar regularly debuted new silhouettes including the Nike Kobe AD and Nike Kobe NXT 360 in 2018.
DeRozan was even alluded to in the Undefeated x Kobe 4 Protro Pack with the Hyper Jade colorway representing his tenure with the Spurs. Now, the midrange maestro will continue to carry the line forward alongside Devin Booker who also recently extended his Nike deal.
Following Kobe Bryant’s untimely passing, it looked as if the iconic brand would be leaving the Nike umbrella. After a year of negotiations, Nike and the Bryant estate reached an agreement in March 2022 that would keep the Kobe line on the market and see new releases. With DeRozan and Booker carrying the torch, we can look to see the legacy of Kobe continue for a long time.