The company is reportedly set to announce new self-lacing basketball shoes that can be controlled from a user’s smartphone.
Sportswear giant Nike has teased its first self-lacing basketball trainers, which the company has suggested will be controllable from a smartphone.
The US firm posted a video to Twitter showing a number of high-profile basketball players trying on the shoes and appearing to interact with them via a phone.
The video is accompanied by the message: “The game will never be the same.”
However, the trainers themselves are not shown and no details on how they work is disclosed, but the company has confirmed it will announce more details later on Tuesday.
Nike has previously experimented with the technology, having launched a range of range of automatically lacing shoes in its HyperAdapt range in 2016.
The firm has also previously launched a limited edition pair of self-lacing shoes inspired by those worn by Michael J Fox’s character Marty McFly in the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II.
Nike confirmed at the end of 2018 it was planning on releasing more self-lacing trainers.
The latest shoes would be the first from the company that pair with a smartphone to control the laces, though the mechanics of the connection remains unknown.
The video shows Sacramento Kings player De’Aaron Fox using an iPhone and at one point asking “so, I can connect this to my phone?” before appearing to tie one of the shoes via the device.
Caitlin Clark appears to be on the cusp of setting another record.
The most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I history and the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft will continue her association with Nike by signing a $28 million contract that spans eight years and includes a signature shoe.
The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported the pending deal, citing unnamed people familiar with the negotiations between the sportswear giant and Clark's agents.
Excel Sports Management, which represents Clark, declined to comment. Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Clark's initial name, image and likeness deal, signed in 2022, expired at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The new deal would be the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player.
Under Armour and Adidas also participated in contract discussions with Clark's team in February, according to the WSJ and Athletic. Puma also showed some interest but walked away when told the bidding would start at $3 million per year, according to the WSJ.
Clark received offers of $16 million over four years from Under Armour and $6 million over four years from Adidas, with both including a signature shoe, according to the WSJ.
Clark earned about $3 million in NIL money at Iowa with deals she has had with State Farm, Gatorade and others, according to On3.com.
Clark's agents were working on the new Nike contract even before she announced she would turn pro instead of return to Iowa for a fifth season under the COVID-19 exemption offered to players in college during the 2020 pandemic season.
After averaging 31.6 points and leading the Hawkeyes to a second straight national championship game, Clark was drafted No. 1 by the Indiana Fever on April 15. She'll earn a $76,000 salary as a rookie.
She's been the main driver for the dramatic uptick in women's basketball interest with her mix of deep 3-point shots, flashy thread-the-needle passes and overall court presence. A women's basketball-record 18.9 million viewers watched Iowa's loss to South Carolina in the NCAA title game, and a WNBA-record 2.45 million watched the draft.
Of the Fever’s 40 games this season, 36 will be nationally televised, and ticket sales have skyrocketed around the league.
Her marketability is enhanced by her polished performances in media settings, and her surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” two weeks ago was widely acclaimed and exposed her to an even wider audience.
The reported eight-year contract with Nike shows the sportswear giant's commitment. At 22, Clark could play well over a decade in the WNBA and she could be on the U.S. roster for the Olympics in Paris this year, in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark reacts during an interview during the WNBA basketball draft Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
A customer looks over Caitlin Clark merchandise in the Indiana Fever team store in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The Fever selected Clark Clark as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA basketball draft. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Caitlin Clark is set to sign a new Nike deal valued at $28 million over 8 years, reports say
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark holds her jersey following a WNBA basketball news conference, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Caitlin Clark is set to sign a new Nike deal valued at $28 million over 8 years, reports say
