Does shoe brand matter in NBA 2K23? No, and here‘s why

As a long-time NBA 2K gamer and content creator focused on basketball gaming, I get this question a lot – does it really matter which company you sign your shoe endorsement deal with?

Well after testing and crunching the numbers, the short answer is no, shoe brand does not actually impact the negotiation details or earnings potential from your contract.

This article will analyze all the key factors around endorsements to show why brand choice doesn‘t matter – and help you make the best decisions as you build your superstar persona off the virtual court.

What determines your shoe deal offers

First let‘s quickly recap how the endorsement and brand deal system works in 2K23‘s MyCareer mode.

As your popularity grows, you‘ll start getting offers from major companies like Nike, Adidas Jordan etc to represent their brand. But these aren‘t just handed to you – you need to actively build your profile as an influencer and valuable marketing asset.

The main factors that determine when you‘ll receive a shoe deal and what contract details you can negotiate are:

Followers / Fans

This directly impacts your appeal to brands as an influencer and ambassador. The fan thresholds for initial offers are:

Milestone Levels

You need to check off certain corporate partner and team mate milestone levels by completing missions to show your dedication:

Negotiation Points

Earn these by playing well to boost your leverage when negotiating contract terms after receiving an initial offer.

So in summary – the brand itself does not influence your endorsement potential or earning power. Their base offers will be similar, and it all comes down to your player‘s own brand and hype.

Brand choice is mainly an aesthetic preference

Once you‘ve put in the off-court work to unlock a shoe deal, the brand you sign with really only changes one thing:

The style of shoes your MyPlayer wears in games 👟

So when deciding, focus mainly on aesthetic preferences around brands and designs! Gameplay and financial factors are equivalent regardless of logo.

For example popular picks tend to be:

• Nike – for classic, stylish kicks
• Jordan – to flex like the GOAT
• Adidas – for more tech / futuristic looks

Choose the one you‘ll feel most hyped repping on the virtual court!

My Pick: As a Jordan/Nike fan I love rocking the iconic brands in-game, so I lean towards signing with them – but it‘s 100% personal preference.

Tips to boost earnings from deals

While brand doesn‘t affect negotiation leverage or salaries, you can maximize your earnings with good incentive picking and performance.

Incentives 💰

Carefully choose contract incentives that match your playstyle and stats. For example if you‘re a scoring machine, pick:

• Points per game
• Field goal percentage
• Double-doubles

Hitting your incentives will net you more per event or season.

Growth Over Time 📈

Your base salaries and incentives will also grow over time as your follower count climbs:

So keep grinding! The sky‘s the limit.

My Prediction: We could also see endorsement deals expand in future 2K games to have deeper impacts on gameplay and MyPlayer evolution. But for now, enjoy finding your favorite brand fit!