Anthony Edwards adidas AE1 Release Date Hypebeast Adidas Basketball 1960s Adidas entered basketball in the 1960s as the sport was growing rapidly in the United States. One of the brand's most influential designs was the Adidas Superstar, introduced in Basketball legend, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, was a history maker both on and off the court he was the first basketball player to be signed to adidas and the first player with a signature adidas History: 1949 to Now