Often times, fans and media alike tend to give shoe companies a little more power than they actually deserve, which is the case here.
When Kevin Durant elected to bolt Oklahoma City for the Bay Area, a lot of factors went into play. Obviously, giving himself the best chance to win a championship was number one.
However, some speculated that Nike influenced Durant’s decision because they wanted him playing in a bigger market.
Durant finally addressed those whispers.
Kevin Durant, on Nike's influence on his decision to join Warriors: "I didn’t let them know what I was doing until I did it."
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) September 26, 2016