Adidas threw a huge sum of money at Houston Rockets point guard James Harden when it signed him away from Nike in 2015, giving him a reported $200 million contract. But, in an interview with Sole Collector at the release event for his new signature shoe over the weekend, Harden said that wasn't what motivated him to make the switch.
"It’s not about the money, it's about the voice," Harden said. "It's about creating. It’s about the things I have in my hand, designing and wanting it to get out so people around the world can get it and get a taste for it."
Harden's already had the chance to create more with Adidas than he ever did at Nike—the former is giving him his own shoe while the latter only ever gave him special colorways of existing shoes.
Harden's first-ever signature shoe, the Adidas Harden Vol. 1, releases on Dec. 3 for $140.
