“I didn’t want to be in the Converse brand anymore because it seemed like they didn’t know what to do with me,” Wade told the AP. “I want to go global. It’s something I feel like I have to do. I want to continue to build my brand.”

The Jordan Brand is a 12-year-old division of Nike, which also owns Converse, and seems to be the right fit for the ambitious Wade.

“I grew up on the south side of Chicago idolizing Michael Jordan and have worked hard to achieve the same success that he’s had on the court,” Wade said. “I have enormous respect for this brand.”