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by Brandon Richard
Today, adidas Basketball announced a new partnership with Houston Rockets guard James Harden. Described as an opportunity for Harden to express himself as a creator, the deal gives him a signature line and involves him in product development. The new partnership will officially begin on October 1.
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The news also marks the end of a long-standing relationship between Harden and Nike, which can be traced back to his days in high school. His Arizona State Sun Devils were also Nike-sponsored and he signed an official endorsement agreement with the brand as an NBA rookie in 2009. In recent years, Harden has emerged as one of the faces of the NBA, which Nike took advantage of by having him lead low-top team models like the Crusader, Run the One and HyperChase.
However, Harden, who was last season's MVP runner-up, has bigger ambitions. There's been speculation that he wasn't happy with being passed over by Kyrie Irving as a signature athlete, which will no longer be a concern of his moving forward. If the rumored $200 million deal turns out to be true, he'll be adidas' top-paid basketball endorser.
But before we see what adidas has lined up for The Beard, here's a look back at his last 8 years wearing Nike sneakers and the evolution of his famous facial hair.
Nike Air Huarache Elite TB (2007)
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Colorway: White/Maroon
Nike Air Max Elite II (2008)
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Colorway: White/Maroon
Nike Zoom BB II (2008)
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Colorway: White/Maroon
Nike Foamposite Lite (2008)
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Colorway: Blackout
Nike Hyperdunk (2009)
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Colorway: Maroon/White
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Colorway: White/Maroon
Nike Zoom LeBron 6 (2009)
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Colorway: White/Black-Varsity Red
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Colorway: Taxi
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Colorway: Wise
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Colorway: Blackout
Nike Zoom Kobe 4 (2009)
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Colorway: Draft Day
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Colorway: POP Home
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Colorway: Carpe Diem
Nike Hyperize
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Colorway: Black/Silver
Nike Zoom Sharkley (2010)
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Colorway: OKC Away
Nike KD 2 (2010)
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Colorway: White/Orange
Nike Hyperfuse (2010)
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Colorway: Black/White
Nike Hyperfuse Low (2010-2011)
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Colorway: White/Navy
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Colorway: Blackout
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Colorway: Black/White
Nike Air Max Rise (2010)
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Colorway: Yellow/Navy
Nike Kobe 6 (2011)
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Colorway: Orange County
Nike Hyperfuse 2011 Low (2011)
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Colorway: White/Orange
Nike Hyperdunk 2011 Low (2011-2012)
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Colorway: OKC Home
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Colorway: OKC Away
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Colorway: Finals
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Colorway: USA
Nike Hyperdunk 2011 Elite Low
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Colorway: Black/Orange
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Colorway: OKC Home
Nike Hyperdunk 2012 Low (2012)
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Colorway: USA
Nike Hyperfuse 2012 Low (2012-2013)
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Colorway: Black/Red
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Colorway: Red/Yellow
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Colorway: White/Red
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Colorway: All-Star
Nike Lunar Hypergamer Low (2012-2013)
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Colorway: OKC Home
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Colorway: OKC Away
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Colorway: Black/Red
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Colorway: White/Grey-Red
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Colorway: Red/Yellow-Silver
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Colorway: Silver/Red-Yellow
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Colorway: Yellow/Grey
63.
Colorway: Christmas
Nike KD 5 (2013)
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Colorway: Hulk
Nike Zoom Crusader (2013-2014)
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Colorway: Red/Yellow
68.
Colorway: White/Red
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Colorway: Silver/Red
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Colorway: Green Week
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Colorway: Yellow/Red-Black
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Colorway: Black/Red-Grey
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Colorway: All-Star
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Colorway: BHM
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Colorway: Red/Yellow
Nike Zoom Run the One (2014-2015)
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Colorway: White/Black-Red
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Colorway: Black/White-Red
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Colorway: White/Red
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Colorway: Black/Red
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Colorway: Red/Black
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Colorway: Grey/Red
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Colorway: Red/Black-Volt
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Colorway: USA
Nike HyperRev 2015 (2015)
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Colorway: Red/Yellow
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Colorway: Yellow/Red
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Colorway: BHM
Nike HyperChase (2015)
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Colorway: White/Black-Red
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Colorway: Black/Red-Yellow
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Colorway: All-Star
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Colorway: USA
