The Timing and Increased Production Matches Up with History

There are rare instances in which a player receives a signature shoe extremely early or awfully late, like LeBron James being equipped with the Nike Air Zoom Generation in his very first year and Charles Barkley’s Nike Air Force Max CB coming eight years after he entered the NBA, respectively, but history tells us that Kyrie Irving has already surpassed the time it’s taken some of the other young stars the league has seen to own a signature shoe. Kevin Durant played in the NBA for a season and a half before his first signature shoe, the Nike KD 1, hit retailers in February of 2009; Derrick Rose also played two full seasons – the same amount of time it took Nike to reward Penny Hardaway with the Nike Air Penny I – before adidas granted him with the D Rose 1; Chris Paul’s Jordan CP released two and a half seasons after he entered the league and Dwyane Wade’s Converse I released at the start of the 2005-2006 season – exactly two years after his NBA debut. Each of the aforementioned players also showed an increase in production between Year 1 and Year 2, which further clarifies the respective player’s path to superstardom.

Irving has now played three full seasons in the NBA, and his production has remained steady – and increased in some categories – from year to year.

Kevin Durant – Nike KD I Release Year = 2009
2007-2008 – 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists
2008-2009 –  25.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Penny Hardaway – Nike Air Penny I Release Year = 1995
1993-1994 – 16.0 points, 6.6 assists, 5.4 rebounds
1994-1995 – 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds

Derrick Rose – adidas D Rose 1 Release Year = 2010
2008-2009 – 16.8 points, 6.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds
2009-2010 – 20.8 points, 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds

Chris Paul – Jordan CP Release Year = 2008
2005-2006 – 16.1 points, 7.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds
2006-2007 – 17.3 points, 8.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds
2007-2008 – 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds

Kyrie Irving
2011-2012 – 18.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds
2012-2013 – 22.5 points 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds
2013-2014 – 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds