James heads the list in shoe sales

4 MVP Awards. 1 NBA Ring.  1 Olympic Gold medal. And now Miami Heat All-Star LeBron James also heads the list of NBA’s highest shoe salesman as well.

According to research firm SportsOneSource, Nike generated $300 million in U.S. retail sales in 2012 for James’ signature shoes. James released the ‘MVP’ edition of the LeBron X sneakers in May on the occasion of his fourth MVP award in five years.

Others on the list include Kobe Bryant ($50M, Nike), Carmelo Anthony ($40M, Jordan), Kevin Durant ($35M, Nike) and Derrick Rose ($25M, Adidas).

But the one brand which trumps the rest in the market is the Nike-owned ‘Air Jordan’ brand in partnership with basketball great Michael Jordan. According to SportsOneSource, it made $2 billion in U.S. sales in 2012 and commands a market share of 55% in basketball, while the Nike brand has 37%. Adidas has a 5% share and Reebok is at 2% in the U.S.

Nike released the Air Jordan XX8 in February. It is the 28th shoe in the Jordan franchise. In addition to new Air Jordans, Nike continues to put out retro versions of the franchise with an average selling price of $130 to $150.