ZION SIGNS WITH JORDAN BRAND. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SNEAKERHEADS?

Let’s face it, Zion Williamson has been the most touted sneaker prospect to enter the NBA since LeBron. It was rumored that the 2019 #1 overall draft pick could generate as much as a $100 million sneaker deal. The sneaker speculation ended yesterday when Zion announced, via Instagram, that he had signed a multi-year sneaker deal with Jordan Brand, the subsidiary of Nike, owned and created by Michael Jordan.

“I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Jordan Brand family,” Williamson said in a statement. “Since I was a kid, I dreamed of making it to the league and having the type of impact on the game Michael Jordan had and continues to have today.”

But what does this move mean for sneakerheads? Let’s face it, Jordan Brand is led by retro Jordan releases and new collaborations with celebrities and designers like Virgil Abloh, Travis Scott, Anna Wintour, and Aleali May. These star-studded collaborations, and the re-release of classic shoes like the Jordan 11 Concords and the Jordan 4s, have brought Jordan Brand back from the domination of Kanye West. Adding Zion is a huge win for the future of Jordan Brand, which has Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, and Blake Griffin under contract. Jordan Brand also recently signed third-year player Jason Tatum (Celtics) and rookie Rui Hachimura (Wizards; second-Japanese born player ever drafted in the NBA); but none of them have the potential of Zion.

While the terms of the deal are sealed, Forbes speculated that the deal could be near 7 years, $75 million. Anywhere close to that number is a significant investment for Jordan Brand since the basketball sneaker industry has shown signs of a decline in recent years. Also, if the Forbes estimate is true, it means landing in New Orleans, as opposed to New York or LA, potentially cost Zion anywhere from $5 to $25 million.

The big question that remains is what will Jordan Brand do with Zion? Will he get his own signature shoe – the Zion 1 – or will he be asked to wear a signature Jordan line, as they did with Kawhi Leonard? Only time will tell. Let’s Dance.

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Let’s Dance #JUMPMAN

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on Jul 23, 2019 at 9:30am PDT