Kevin Durant May Replace Nike With Maryland Based Under Armour

Everyone wants to speculate about Kevin Durant returning to Washington D.C. to play for the Wizards. While Durant is at least two seasons removed from having to make that decision, it appears that he might be bringing his sponsorship home.

Kevin Durant has been backed by Nike since entering the NBA in 2007, when he signed a seven-year, $60 million endorsement contract. That contract will come to an end later this week, and it is possible that Durant, the most liked player in the NBA, will go with Under Armour over Nike.

Under Armour is based out of Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C., and is reported by Darren Rovell of ESPN to be ready to make a big offer. Kevin Durant grew up in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is known for being proud of his hometown. In fact, Durant was one of Lebron James’ biggest supporters when James announced he would be returning home to Cleveland.

Kevin Durant made comments that sparked some rumors after Lebron James published his letter announcing his return. When asked about returning home one day, Durant told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, “It’s hard to talk about that right now when I’ve got two years left in Oklahoma City. I’m just going to focus on that. I’m not going to make a decision based on what anybody else does. I grew up watching the Bullets/Wizards. I grew up taking the train to that arena, all the time, to watch Georgetown, the Bullets, the Washington Mystics. That whole city is a part of me. It’s in my blood. I love going back home, seeing my family and playing there, but I love Oklahoma City too.”

If Kevin Durant were to sign an endorsement deal with Under Armour, it would certainly fuel more rumors about a potential return. Nike is well known as the deal that every basketball player wants, and Durant has released seven versions of his signature shoe with them. However, if a home state company can make a substantial offer, it would not be surprising to see Kevin Durant leave the most popular shoe company for loyalty to his roots. Durant chose Nike originally because he had grown up wearing Nikes, even though Adidas made a better offer.

With Kevin Durant’s bright future and favorite son personality, companies everywhere will be trying to get a piece of the Oklahoma City superstar. Of course, it has to be in their minds that Kevin Durant could come home to the eighth largest market in the nation in a couple of years too.

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