Kevin Durant and Nike Announce Team KD with Madison Booker as First Athlete

Near the end of his illustrious run with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan and Nike announced the creation of Jordan Brand and a roster of Team Jordan athletes. Today, his footwear empire is worth billions, and there is a wide range of athletes with sneaker deals under Jordan Brand. But now, there’s a new generation of players with lifetime deals over at The Swoosh, Kevin Durant being one of them. KD signed his new massive agreement with Nike in 2023, and we’re now seeing a new branch of the long-term partnership: Team KD.

In an official press release from the Texas Longhorns athletics department and a quote from Kevin Durant’s Boardroom media company, Madison Booker of the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team will become the first member of Team KD, in which she’ll “receive access to KD PEs, apparel, and more.” The new NIL program will eventually include other Longhorn student-athletes on both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. "It means a lot to be a Nike athlete," said Madison Booker. "Honestly, it's a blessing. I think that's also part of why I came to UT – the opportunities here are amazing."

KD also spoke on the signing, stating, "My time at UT had a huge impact on not only my basketball career, but on me personally. Supporting players during their college playing career was always a goal, and I'm thrilled to be able to expand our partnership with UT, bring Boardroom into the mix, and create programming that benefits all UT student-athletes."

Durant mentions Boardroom as the University of Texas, Nike, and his media company are set to partner on a yearly sports business summit that will be open to all UT student-athletes and sports business students.

"At Nike, we are passionate about listening to the voice of the athlete – including where and how they want their legacy to live on," said Karie Conner, VP/GM Nike Global Basketball. "We are proud to enter a new, first-of-its-kind partnership with KD and are eager to keep supporting how he and Nike can champion the next generation of hoopers – continuing with The University of Texas and Madison Booker."

Interesting to note that Karie Conner mentions this as a “first-of-its-kind partnership with KD,” making this less like a traditional sub-label (à la Jordan Brand) and more like an NIL program led by Durant. Maybe in the future we’ll see athletes get signature shoes under the Kevin Durant line, and if anyone is deserving of that, it would be someone like Chet Holmgren.

Expect to see Madison Booker take the court in Nike KD sneakers and more athletes from the University of Texas to be announced as members of Team KD in the near future. For updates on the latest happenings in the sneaker world, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts, catching the latest movies, and trying new food. For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com