On Sept. 29, Jayson Tatum rolled up to Boston’s TD Garden, but not in a wheelchair or a walking boot.

Outfitted in his Boston Celtics uniform and the “St. Louis” colorway of his Jordan Tatum 4 signature sneakers, the 2025 All-NBA first-teamer stood tall at NBA Media Day despite being only four and a half months removed from rupturing an Achilles tendon.

“I’ve been grinding every day,” Tatum told Andscape in September, weeks ahead of the media day event. “Pushing through the pain and staying locked in.”

Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Even so, his signature shoes from Jordan Brand will remain on his feet, rendered in styles and swatches made to match his tunnel fits ahead of his return to action.

“You’ll see him rocking [the Tatum 4] on the bench consistently,” Edric Egberuare, Jordan Brand product line manager for the Tatum 4, told Andscape. “There’s a ton of colors and materials that line up with lifestyle.”

As the 2025-26 NBA season unfolds, four stars of All-NBA caliber — including Tatum — will start the year on the sideline with signature sneakers on shelves.

Like Tatum, the Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard and the Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton all face the daunting task of intense physical rehab while serving as the faces of global footwear franchises bearing their names.

Behind the scenes, each athlete’s brand partners are positioning the pause on play as a way to pivot marketing efforts. 

Some methods are modern, others are tried and true.

Playing Dress Up

A March 2025 ACL tear kept Kyrie Irving out of summer pickup runs.

It did not keep him out of the spotlight. 

The nine-time All-Star hosted a New York Fashion Week activation for the second season of his HÉLÀ collection, a lifestyle line inspired by Irving and produced by his footwear sponsor, Anta.

In July 2023, Irving signed a five-year contract with the Chinese sportswear company, which included not only an on-court signature shoe but also lifestyle offerings in the form of apparel and footwear.

“Kyrie is masterful in the way he’s doing the shoe deal,” Michael Fletcher, a footwear designer who has worked with signature athletes, told Andscape. “He’s doing the fashion show and he’s wearing unknown brands.” 

Irving’s distinct individual style, reflected in his craft and clothing, has created an aura around everything he wears, including his Anta line, both on and off the court.

“The Hélà Roots? That’s done amazing for us,” Christian Laursen, head of Anta Sports US Marketing, told Andscape when referencing one of the casual sneakers from Irving’s lifestyle range of footwear and apparel. “The beautiful thing about Kai is he’s much more than a basketball player.”

Prior to his injury, Anta had already built a lifestyle business for Irving with resonance beyond basketball.

Amidst Irving’s injury, Anta looks to lean into that fashion lane while he is off the court recovering.

“We’re going to take a bigger swing on lifestyle,” said Laursen. “That allows us to make up that gap from a financial standpoint. But we are going to be on when Kai comes back.” 

This type of pivot will see Irving active in the tunnel—and on Twitch.

Content is King

Irving is an athlete who’s never had any trouble being interesting. His provocative presence permeates social media and streaming services.

“Going on the stream talking to the kids? It humanizes him,” said Fletcher. “They want to hear the voice.”

Through Anta, Irving is expected to chronicle his injury rehab and off-court outings through narrative storytelling that doubles as sportswear marketing.

“We’re working with his team on behind-the-scenes comeback content to keep people informed,” said Laursen. “That’ll have product integration in there.”

Leaning into adversity and brand-led video is not new when it comes to athletes recovering from injury. After his ACL injury in the 2012 playoffs, Derrick Rose and Adidas dove deep into his recovery through their brand-led “The Return” campaign.

“We took him to the Athlete’s Performance Institute and worked on his rehab,” Jack Gray, former Adidas global basketball director, told Andscape.

At Adidas, Gray shaped the global vision for the brand’s basketball business from 2011 to 2015. Rose served as the centerpiece signature athlete during that run, winning MVP in 2011 and battling injury prior to his third signature shoe.

“We said, ‘We’re going all in on this,’” Gray recalled. “‘It’s The Return. We’re gonna do the Rose 3. We’re gonna create his own logo. We’re gonna double down because we believe in this guy.’”

The risk of doubling down was big as Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season and missed 72 games the following year.

Unlike Irving, Rose’s personality was reserved early in his career and at the time of his injury. “The Return” gave Adidas a chance to humanize the fallen star while keeping his face and his signature shoe in the public eye.

Already, a similar approach has been used by Jordan and Tatum, who have released footage of his rehab journey online.

In just over a month, Tatum’s viral “Back on Court” vlog has registered more than 151,000 views on YouTube.

Perennial All-Star Kevin Durant, a signature athlete who suffered an Achilles injury in 2019, reshared the video on X, showing his support, which garnered 3.9 million impressions.

“There’s still a story that can be told,” Vaughan Moss, sports marketing vet and CEO of Moss Management, told Andscape. “He’s not dead. Even if Jayson doesn’t play this year at all, people are still fans of Jayson and are following his accounts.”

Similarly, Adidas athlete Damian Lillard, who will miss the entire season after tearing his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs, has dived into his content bag.

Like Tatum and Rose, Lillard has uploaded a  “Recovery Mode” channel on his YouTube page, detailing his rehab process. 

Additionally, Lillard has revived various vlog series and released his sixth studio album, Y.A.G.I. For the past decade, Lillard has released music under the alias Dame D.O.L.L.A., growing a fanbase that tunes into his output beyond basketball.

“Playing drives the visibility, but the ones who have the personality? You have to lean on it,” said Moss. “Maybe this is a unique opportunity to go all in on the rap side. Dame has actual talent there, visibility, and the opportunity to keep it going after basketball is done.”

Distributing content is one way to keep fans engaged and footwear visible. Distributing the shoes to a market more in love with performance basketball footwear is another.

Chinese Democracy

When Derrick Rose was on the sideline in the Midwest, his signature line traveled to the Far East.

In the early 2000s, Adidas expanded its basketball business by taking Tracy McGrady and a young Kobe Bryant to China. A decade later, Gray and Rose followed suit.

Leaning into a massive market built on basketball heroes, outdoor play, small cities, and high-tier products, an Adidas Basketball blueprint already existed in Asia when Rose, the face of their brand from 2011 to 2015, suffered a series of injuries.

“It became this way where if something went wrong in the U.S., building that business in China was less trend-driven,” said Gray. “We had thousands of doors across China and they’re all Adidas stores. As the injuries continued, we were able to flatten it in China and then grow it.”

In Asia, even an injured Rose carried enough weight to sell shoes. By 2018, six years after the ACL injury and following seven promotional tours, China accounted for more than 70% of all Adidas Rose sales.

A dip in American market share for the Rose line led to a full-court press in China, which not only elevated his entire signature series but also paved the way for a franchise that remains relevant in his retirement.

“They’re [Adidas] still re-releasing models over there,” said Gray. “It’s still relevant to this day. He just went over there and was playing in exhibitions and people are still going nuts for him.”

Already Anta, a brand based in China, is taking a similar approach with Irving.

“For us, it’s maintaining proper distribution,” Laursen said. “That might mean more limited quantities in the United States and within a Chinese aspect, where we have a much bigger footprint, we’re going to continue to commercialize there in a bigger way.”

Distributing signature shoes to distant doors is one approach to pivoting product strategy, as is passing premier styles to teammates and brand partners.

The Hand Off

Nick Young remembers it as if it were yesterday.

On Jan. 23, 2014, the Los Angeles Lakers visited the LeBron James-led Miami Heat for a nationally televised game.

Kobe Bryant, the Lakers’ star player, had just returned to play after missing the previous postseason with a torn Achilles tendon.

Anticipating eyeballs, Nike unveiled the Kobe 9 Elite, a $225 high-tech, high-top sneaker homaging the injury with scar-inspired stitchwork up the heel.

The problem? Kobe suffered a tibial plateau fracture six games into his comeback campaign, sidelining the star and perhaps his new shoe. 

“We were in Miami and the whole Nike camp was there trying to figure out how to debut it,” Young told Andscape. “I came through the tunnel being swaggy and Kobe said, ‘Let Nick do it.’”

The confident sixth man did a double-take. 

Bryant, who would miss the remainder of the 2013-14 season and only play 35 games the following year, passed the baton to Young. But not without the added pressure to play exceptionally well.

“I want you to debut my new shoe, but if you do, you’ve gotta have 20 [points] in it,” Bryant told Young. “Or you can never wear my shoes again.”

With opportunity comes expectation.

“I felt honored, but it was a lot of pressure,” said Young. “He’d have taken them off midgame if I wasn’t out there to score. I knew from past experience that he’d do something crazy like that.”

In 2025, it appears other NBA players will experience a similar opportunity Young had.

Already, Indiana Pacers reserves Ray J Dennis, Johnny Furphy and Kam Jones have appeared in pairs of the Puma Hali 1 at the team’s media day.

With Haliburton slated to miss the entire season after an Achilles tear in June during the NBA Finals, Furphy was tasked with debuting the “Opal” edition in NBA action.

Out West, Anta and Irving are using the time away to build a roster of new endorsers. 

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford and Los Angeles Clippers wing Derrick Jones Jr. have started the season in Anta Kyries, acting as ambassadors since making the 2024 NBA Finals as Irving’s teammates.

Irving being kept off court creates a need for new ambassadors to wear his shoes on court.

“It allows us to find other ambassadors,” said Laursen, who noted WNBA, NBA, and grassroots, such as high school and AAU players as targets. “We’re looking to build Kai’s brand the same way Steph [Curry] has the last couple of years, or how [Michael] Jordan built a legacy to let other people carry the brand.”

Laursen likens Irving — nicknamed “Uncle Drew” for a character he played in a series of Pepsi commercials — as a “figurative uncle” among peers, though he’s only 33 years old. Irving and his brand have sent sneakers to Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington, who, though not signed with Anta, played much of his all-rookie season in the Kai 1 Speed.

“Bub looked up to Kai for so many years,” said Laursen. “It’s that gravitational pull that’s brought a lot of people into the brand.”

While Puma and Anta are building basketball rosters through the pro game, Jordan and Adidas have the advantage of endorsement deals across not just the NBA and WNBA but also the NCAA.

“With Tatum out, you’ll see the roster diving in,” Egberuare said, noting that Jordan-sponsored athletes and schools will wear inline takes, or general releases, and thematic exclusives.

Early on, the likes of Paolo Banchero, Stephon Castle and Dana Evans have already donned the Jordan Tatum 4 in pro play.

In college, 10 schools are tied to Tatum through Jordan Brand sponsorship, led by North Carolina, Michigan, San Diego State, Florida and UCLA — in men’s and women’s programs.

“We’ll see it on court a ton,” said Egberuare. “The collegiate colorways will be crazy. They’re gonna go off the rails.”

Theoretically, Adidas and Lillard could take a similar approach, as they’re already outfitting the likes of WNBA stars Chelsea Gray and Aaliyah Boston, and having connections to such schools as Kansas, Miami and Indiana.

The connection to young athletes—whether contractual or informal—allows brands to test the waters for potential successors. Still, the investment lies in the health and relationship of the intended signature athlete.

Statsheets, Spreadsheets and Heartbeats

Major injuries can significantly alter the career trajectories of athletes and executives.

Before Laursen arrived at Anta, he was a marketing manager at Adidas, working through injuries tied to Rose and former NFL Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III. 

The challenges for all involved — both professional and personal — shape Laursen’s approach to Irving at Anta.

“I harkened on those experiences,” Laursen said, “whether it was the comeback story or waiting til they came back and saying, ‘Hey, let’s pause and have some respect for the athlete and the time. Let’s not be loud and proud launching colorways while an athlete is sidelined.’”

Even away from footwear, Gray, now serving as CEO of Blenders Eyewear, gets emotional when recalling the injured athletes he worked with at Adidas.

“The human side is really important,” said Gray. “It’s a small industry, and people remember the guys who take care of people when they’re down. The brands that feel like they’re invested in you as an individual whether you’re injured or not? I think that really matters.”

Just the same, the business realities are not lost on him.

“If you’re at a big brand, the brand is always going to be bigger than the individual,” Gray said. “If you’re working on someone’s line, you’re at the mercy of that.”

That mercy holds true today.

At Anta, Irving is in the third year of a five-year partnership with the Chinese-based company. Tatum is entering his seventh season with Jordan Brand.

In Portland, Lillard is 11 months removed from signing a lifetime extension with Adidas, which currently sells his 10th signature model as well as an economy-priced Dame Certified diffusion line.

Though details are undisclosed on Haliburton’s 2024 signing to PUMA, industry insider Nick DePaula reported that Haliburton signed a “massive multi-year shoe deal” with the intentions of becoming a ‘future face of the company.”

The realities of major contracts make patience and pivoting pertinent.

In today’s game, the likelihood of a signature athlete getting sidelined is significant, as the league’s injury and illness epidemic accounted for 6,779 games missed last regular season.

Still, it’s not without hope or silver linings as the ripple effect of a sidelined signature star can create unseen opportunities for players and partners alike.

“It helped me get a bigger deal for sure,” said Young, who later signed a multi-year endorsement contract with Adidas. “Debuting the Kobes? I was a rockstar. Adidas told me they’d give me a shoe.”

At the very least, the time off court for sidelined stars provides increased opportunities for brands and athletes to collaborate.

“Jayson’s hyper-involved,” Egberuare said. “He cares a lot about the shoe, how it’s executed, how it’s seen, and that it’s seen. This is an opportunity for him to be more involved.”

At its best, an injury creates an arc for an athlete and their product that endures far past their playing days.

“There have been athletes who have had massive injuries, came back, and absolutely killed it,” said Gray. “Derrick never quit and still had a great career. Nike did a very good job with Kobe. That’s probably the best one.”

The post What happens when signature sneaker stars are sidelined? appeared first on Andscape.