Nike Reigns Supreme With NBA Finals Win

The 52-year championship drought is over for Cleveland. LeBron James winning a championship for his hometown in record fashion was just one of the major highlights seen in basketball this year. Cleveland overcame a 3-1 series deficit, a feat that never been done before. Leading up to Game 7, this was the second-most watched NBA Finals ever.

In the matchup that everyone wanted, and that many analysts pitted as a brand war between Nike Inc NKE and Under Armour Inc UA, Nike won this round with key endorsers Kyrie Irving and LeBron James playing a major role in bringing a championship to Cleveland. Athletic shoes remain the strongest footwear segment in 2016, according to Citi analysts.

Related Link: Kyrie Irving Set To Receive A Boost After Finals Performance

LeBron had an amazing performance while completing one of the most compelling stories in sports history. Coming back to his hometown where he was vilified for leaving, and then bringing a championship to a team that had no business even being in contention (Cleveland had the worst record in the league when James notoriously left for Miami).

According to a report from Fortune, James' sneaker sales exceeded those of Curry's in the first three months of the year, but as playoff season approached, Curry's shoes outsold LeBron's in April and May. Nike's Air Jordan brand is still king of basketball shoes and commanded a 75 percent share of all purchases.

California is the top market for sales of both Curry and James' shoes, following Florida. Under Armour's CEO Kevin Plank said earlier this year that Curry's MVP season brought "unprecedented attention to our overall footwear business."