Zion Set To Cash In On Marketability With Likely Massive Shoe Deal

Many in the sneaker industry expect that Zion Williamson's eventual shoe deal will "make him one of the three highest-paid rookie sneaker endorsers ever, joining the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant," according to Nick DePaula of ESPN.com. Williamson is "expected by industry insiders to have a deal inked before this year's May 14 draft lottery, as the major sneaker companies see Williamson as a potential marketing superstar regardless of which market he lands in." Williamson could "receive offers from as many as six brands, including Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, Puma and Anta." Only 17 active NBAers had their "own signature shoe this season." Only nine players in league history have had a "signature shoe for their rookie season." Sources said that Nike execs have already "begun to have company balance discussions around targeting Williamson to be a Jordan athlete instead, given Nike's current crowded stable." While Williamson has become "linked with Nike because of his time at Duke, he was long seen as 'an Adidas kid' before that." Adidas sponsored Williamson's Spartanburg Day School team, along with his South Carolina Supreme AAU team. However, in the wake of the brand's "involvement in the FBI investigation into illegal payments at the NCAA level, Adidas has been dramatically pulling back its spending on NBA player contracts." At least 12 players saw their "endorsement deals expire this past fall, without an effort from Adidas to re-sign them" (ESPN.com, 4/1).

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ONE OF A KIND: DePaula appeared on ESPN's "OTL" yesterday to discuss Williamson's looming sneaker deal and said, "I've talked to some brands that are already prepared to pay more than $10 million per year and it's really just going to come down to the length of the deal. But it's going to be an astronomical number." He added, "We talk about made-for-TV players. He's made for social media in this era, and every brand is excited for the visibility that could bring." DePaula said Williamson's stepfather, Lee Anderson, and his former college teammate and former NBA agent, Chubby Wells, might "interview potential agents but they might also launch their own agency and build it around Zion" ("OTL," ESPN, 4/1).

READY TO EXPLODE: ESPN Radio’s Will Cain wondered what Williamson is "about to do to the shoe market" considering his "combination of charisma, star power, youth appeal, explosive game, hype (and) name recognition already" ("The Will Cain Show," ESPN Radio, 4/1). FS1’s Nick Wright said Williamson “will be a great shoe pitchman because I just think we haven’t seen his true personality.” But FS1's Cris Carter said, "Buyer beware. He is not Michael Jordan as far as selling shoes … and I don’t believe he’ll be as popular in shoes as far as LeBron" (“First Things First,” FS1, 4/2).