NBA News: LeBron James Named Nike's 2014 Top Shoe Salesman at $340 Million

LeBron James' move back to Cleveland from Miami did not hurt his salability at all.

Forbes reported that James remained the top endorsement star in basketball, raking in an estimated $44 million in the past year. From January 2014 to January 2015, Nike sold $340 million worth of James' signature shoes, which meant an increase of 13 percent compared with the previous year. James sold almost twice as much compared to Kevin Durant, who sold $195 million.

Nike released the LeBron 12 in October 2014 and the sneakers continued to sell well, especially among the younger consumers and children. James is paid around $20 million every year by Nike to endorse its range of products. Since the company signed the NBA superstar out of high school in 2003, James has continued to build his global brand and has become the face of the NBA. James initially signed with Nike for seven years for $90 million and has since renewed his contract to this day. His return to the Cleveland Cavaliers may have actually been a good business decision, as evidenced by the marked increase in his sneaker sales.

Despite James encountering toe problems with the LeBron 11, the shoe reportedly continued to sell well. In February 2014, Forbes reported that James' fit issues did not have any effect on the shoe's salability. The LeBron 11 was dubbed as one of the best in the line in terms of aesthetics.

At the No. 3 spot is Kobe Bryant, who is also a Nike endorser. He sold $105 million, followed by Chris Paul with $32 million, Carmelo Anthony of Jordan Brand with $30 million, and Kyrie Irving with $7 million.

Bleacher Report wrote that Nike remains dominant in the basketball shoe industry, owning five of the top six bestsellers. Among the top six, only Derrick Rose is the non-Nike endorser. Rose is signed by Adidas and managed to rake in $32 million for the company in the past year.

Among all the NBA players signed by Nike, Bryant was recorded as the biggest earner in the past year. His shoe sales in the United States increased by more than 100 percent, reaching $105 million. The year before that, Bryant sold $50 million. Slam Online reported that the new Flyknit technology, which was added to the Kobe 9, may have been the reason for its increase in popularity.

Andy Annunziata, footwear analyst of SportScanInfo, said, "Nike continues to reinvent new technologies on a regular basis, and they have instant credibility when they introduce new technology in basketball."