Anthony Davis has had his marketability on his mind since college, when the then Kentucky Wildcat insisted on keeping his unibrow intact in order to make him immediately recognizable and give him a clever nickname, “The Brow.” Now, entering his sixth season in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans, the star big man is continuing to push his brand forward.
According to ESPN’s Nick DePaula, Davis, who signed with Nike out of college, quietly agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the sneaker giant ahead of this season. On Wednesday night, Davis took to the court in his player exclusive Air Max Dominate that, as DePaula points out, features a custom tongue logo.
Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis & Nike agreed to a multi-year shoe deal extension before the season.
Davis' Air Max Dominate shoes this season feature a custom tongue icon with his name, unibrow logo, "Chi / IL" hometown and "Fear The Brow." pic.twitter.com/S386TvIL1R
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 19, 2017
We don’t know the details of Davis’ new deal with Nike and whether it will lead to him getting his first signature sneaker, or simply remain as the face of certain lines like the Air Max Dominate. Nike doesn’t have a big man currently in their rotation of signature sneakers, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, and Kyrie Irving as the current players with signature shoes (plus Kobe Bryant).
Davis is among the second tier Nike stars, alongside Draymond Green, that are the poster boys for other Nike basketball shoes — Draymond with the Hyperdunk and Davis with the Air Max Dominate. It’s traditionally taken a transcendent big man like Shaq, Kevin Garnett, or Tim Duncan to land a signature sneaker, but Davis has the talent to potentially get there if his personal brand continues to grow.
