The National Basketball Association and Skims, the underwear brand from Kim Kardashian have announced a partnership that will make Skims the official underwear partner of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that the partnership will be seen through future events, including the NBA all-star and the NBA in-season tournament games. Silver did not specify any specific events or how the sponsorship will be seen across the league.
“I am incredibly proud of Skims partnership with the NBA, as it is a reflection of Skims growing influence on culture,” said Kardashian, co-founder and creative director of Skims in a news release.
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The deal comes days after Skims Mens launched on Oct. 26 with three different collections. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, modeled the underwear during the new brand campaign launch alongside other star athletes like Brazilian footballer Neymar.
The Birth of Skims
Kardashian launched Skims in 2019. The idea was simple but trendy: body-positive shapewear, with sizes between XXS-5XL, released in drops. In the years since, the label has expanded to loungewear, dresses and swimsuits.
Its products frequently sell out, inspiring lengthy waitlists, and a round of funding in July 2023 valued the brand at $4 billion (Ksh.603 Billion) , hinting at a future IPO.
Skims’s entry into the NBA reflects a long-standing relationship between fashion and basketball, where Nike has primarily been the powerhouse apparel partner. The NBA signed an eight-year deal with Nike back in 2015 that made the sporting company the official apparel provider for the league, including on-court uniforms.
Nike was given “global rights to design and manufacture authentic and Swingman jerseys as well as on-court warm-ups and shooting shirts,” according to an NBA news release. The NBA did not immediately respond to questions about how the Skims partnership will impact its Nike deal.
