Kevin Durant Pulled Between Under Armour and Nike in a Deal Worth Millions

             It was the deal of a lifetime for the kid who grew up having no idea he could make it this far. Kevin Durant, the 2014 NBA MVP, was offered with one of the biggest deals in sports history. Deciding to take the $300 million from Nike over Under Armour's $265-$285 million offer was possibly the best decision he ever made, besides the choice to play for OKC Thunder, my favorite team.

             Nike Basketball. They support Michael Jordan's clothing line, and have deals with top players in the world such as Lebron and Kobe. How could Durant not want to rejoin the company of such greats? But the first one to announce their offer was Under Armour and how could a $265-$285 million deal be met be anyone else? I didn't want him to choose Under Armour because they don't have the hype and ability to produce gear in basketball like Nike can. They don't have deals with big names of basketball like Nike does. I view Under Armour more as a clothing line, and not a leader in the sports shoe industry. With Nike, they have it all; the resources, the technology, and the prestige. Now I'm not saying that Under Armour isn't a good sportswear company, because I see them as part of the Top 3 sports companies worldwide, I just don't feel like they are as great in certain sports such as basketball. Now one day can Under Armour reach the gold standard of basketball that is Nike? Yes, but that day is not going to happen in 2014 with the likes of Kevin Durant. Under Armour needs to expand its basketball technology and resources and gain deals with the up and coming greats of basketball to get rolling in the right direction to one day reach and possibly surpass the powerhouse of Nike Basketball.
            In the end I feel like Kevin Durant made the decision that any player that understands the world of basketball would. Then with Nike topping Under Armour's offer with $300 million it was the icing on the cake. These past few years Durant has created one of the top clothing and shoe lines with Nike and  I'm excited to see what he has in store these up coming years!