Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest sneaker free agent on the market right now and is the biggest non-rookie free agent for shoe companies since James Harden. The budding Bucks superstar has global reach and appeal, and his production has made him one of the league’s top players at 22 years old.
With his original sneaker deal with Nike completed, Antetokounmpo has a chance to cash in on his newfound superstardom to the tune of an annual sneaker contract in the $8-$10 million range annually. Nike will have the opportunity to match any offer Antetokounmpo receives from another company, so they remain the favorites to retain his services as an endorser.
However, there is a chance, with Nike already having strong wing presences like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, that they’d decide not to invest heavily in him when he’d likely be a secondary star for them in the immediate future. That’s what adidas, Under Armour, and others will hope, and the process of wooing the Greek sensation has begun. On Wednesday, Antetokounmpo posted a video to Instagram of a van packed with adidas shoes and gear that were gifted to him.
Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker seemed pretty excited about the shipment, especially the Yeezy’s that were included. While Giannis was thrilled to get a truckload of adidas sneakers and gear, it’s also important to note that the young star was rocking the new Nike Kobe A.D. in the video as he appeared to be coming from practice.
For a 22-year-old, being a sneaker free agent is a pretty great time. He’s going to get loads of free stuff from the major sneaker companies (much of which he won’t be able to wear once he inks a new deal) and can spend a little time figuring out what he wants out of a shoe contract. While adidas certainly made a strong impression here, Antetokounmpo’s reported loyalty to wearing Kobe’s kicks is going to make it tough to pry him away from Nike.
