Nike declined to disclose terms of the deal or possible plans for a Bryant signature shoe or apparel line.
Bryant paid $8million to get out of his six-year contract with Adidas Salomon about a year ago. He wore several brands of shoes last season while negotiating with Nike and Reebok.
The acquisition of Bryant follows a seven-year $90m deal with NBA draft top pick Lebron James as well as a further six-year $21m contract with fellow college graduate Carmelo Anthony. Both will figure highly in the annual draft tomorrow.
All the moves follow the recent retirement of Michael Jordan, whose endorsement of Nike helped turn the company into the industry's dominant maker of athletic shoes and apparel.
Said Nike spokesman Mark Shapiro: "The combination of one of the world's best and proven NBA players such as Kobe, partnered with the exciting fresh talents of newcomers LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, will generate phenomenal energy for the brand throughout the world."
Bryant will help solidify Nike's dominance in the market for basketball sneakers. The company controls about 40 percent of the US athletic shoe industry, more than the share of Reebok and Adidas combined, according to latest industry figures.
"With James and Anthony still waiting to take their first NBA shots, it made sense for Nike to hedge its risk by signing a proven success," commented Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center.
Nike has continued its post-Michael Jordan basketball strategy by signing up Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
