As we move forward into 2024, a lineup of leading stars is already on the rise and brands from around the world are pacing toward finding even more momentum across the marketplace. With the Paris Olympics this summer, the global event will likely act as a key pillar of the calendar for brands to unleash their newest innovations on the world’s greatest athletes. 

This week, let’s lock in on the biggest stories I’m looking forward to for the year ahead. Check out the full breakdown of all 10 topics on Boardroom.

To close 2023, we saw Nike take a noted step toward revamping its efforts to promote the Kobe Bryant series. A campaign lapping into January launched in key markets like New York and LA, featuring some of Bryant’s most famous mentality moments from throughout his 20-year playing career, touting “That’s Mamba.” 

To date, we’ve seen both Vanessa Bryant and Nike lean in often on key dates. There’s an annual “Mambacita” launch on Gigi’s birthday in May, along with an all-white “Halo” launch on 8/24, representing both of Kobe’s jersey numbers and the day after his birthday. 

I’d anticipate Nike to finally meet what’s been a relentless demand for Bryant’s sneakers during “Kobe Year” in ’24. Retailers are anticipating more volume of products and more frequent launches, after fans have largely been left frustrated by a lack of availability in the last year.

The visibility of the “Kobe Brand” is also set to ramp up throughout 2024. There are six NCAA schools in place as “Mamba Colleges” to help highlight pairs on both the men’s and women’s teams, new drops in store for the Kobe 4 Protro, Kobe 8 Protro, and Kobe 9 Protro all year long, and a new accelerated effort around releasing even more Bryant-branded apparel. 

With the new contract between the Kobe Bryant Estate and Nike having landed in March 2022, the standard corporate 14-18 month product planning calendar is now taking shape as we begin 2024. 

As TV ratings, social media metrics, and in-person attendance numbers continue to elevate across women’s sports, I’m also expecting to see even more products associated with women leading the way in hoops to come to market. 

Sabrina Ionescu will launch her second Nike signature shoe during the summer of 2024, with Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart set to launch her third Stewie signature shoe with Puma during the same window. Angel Reese’s first collection with Reebok will debut toward the end of the year during the Fall season. 

The next three players that I see making their mark in the sneaker game are Las Vegas Aces two-time champ A’ja Wilson, NCAA star Caitlin Clark, and USC freshman Juju Watkins. Each is already signed to Nike. 

Wilson is overdue for her own signature shoe. I’d like to see Nike, at the least, create PE colorways of the GT Cut series with Clark that could launch at the end of the year, regardless of whether she enters the WNBA Draft this year or returns for one last collegiate season at Iowa. Juju is must-see TV, getting nightly buckets at USC. She’s a player that Nike could be building up already with LA regional product launches while she’s still in school. I’m expecting to see all three take their leap as leading faces of Nike Basketball this year. 

Recent Anta prototypes worn by Kyrie Irving.

After parting ways with Nike over a year ago, Kyrie Irving landed a new five-year shoe deal with Anta that will see his first signature collection launch this spring. Already, he’s been practicing in blacked-out prototypes of two different sneakers from his upcoming KAI branded line, with a series of layered themes and more vibrant retail colorways expected to launch throughout the year. 

When he left Nike, his annual signature business was towering toward $400 million annually, making Irving one of the industry’s most successful series movers. 2024 will be an early indicator of whether Kyrie can continue his success in the industry under his new deal with Anta, which boasts more than 9,000 stores throughout Asia.

His next venture also includes a new wrinkle, with Irving taking an ownership stake in the global distribution plan by becoming an investor in Kicks Crew, where his signature series will be made available to US consumers. 

“It’s a game-changer in the athlete-brand partnership landscape,” said Irving. “It’s not just about endorsing a product anymore — it’s about being actively involved in how that product reaches consumers … We’re redefining the traditional athlete approach to shoe deals.”

If Irving can once again surpass the esteemed $100 million mark for his second act signature business this year, I wouldn’t rule out a return towards him elevating and becoming a top-five seller again.

As the longtime double-digit signature lines of league icons from LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry continue on, there’s a new class of rising stars I expect to see take a huge jump in 2024. 

Currently under contract with Converse, if he entered a true sneaker free agency this fall, I fully believe that OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could become one of the most sought-after endorsers in industry history. I’ve been jokingly using this stat when talking to folks throughout the industry about his impact, but it’s still true: Last season, SGA became the only player to be named to the All-NBA first team and the All-League Fits first team in the same season. 

While the second award from SLAM’s Instagram off-shoot page might hold less historical significance on paper, it truly speaks to Shai’s rise as a crossover superstar, where he’s mastered the blend of on- and off-court perhaps better than anyone during the tunnel era. 

With the Thunder now a contending team heading into this year’s playoffs and the Team Canada headliner projecting to be a breakout star at the Paris Olympics, the time is right for a Shai signature business to begin. 

View this email in your browser.
 Want to change how you receive these emails? Update your preferences here.

 Unsubscribe from Sneaker Game.

Boardroom · c/o Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, LLC· 149 5th Ave, #1101 · New York, NY 10010 · USA