Giannis Antetokounmpo has reinvented the role of modern big men in the NBA, alongside Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic. His freakish athleticism on the hardwood has endeared him to a vast majority of the hoops community. With his growing popularity, the Greek Freak has brought surging sales and massive profits to Nike with his Freak shoe line. The new Immortality sneaker series has been making noise in the market and expanding overall profit generation regularly. Giannis is currently on a China tour from July 5 to 9, where he is also promoting his Nike Zoom Freak 5. During the tour, he was gifted a necklace from Nike. However, the Milwaukee Bucks star hilariously called out the $161.54 billion worth brand for giving Ja Morant a bigger necklace.
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In February, the sports apparel brand gifted the Memphis Grizzlies star guard a custom diamond pendant. The gift was crafted at Icebox Diamonds and Watches, a store located in Atlanta. The pendant in the necklace was shaped just like Morant’s customized triangle-shaped logo for Nike. The logo was unveiled on Christmas Day, which also saw the release of “Ja 1”. Morant wore his signature shoe from Nike in the All-Star game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo calls out Nike for giving Ja Morant a bigger necklace
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the funniest guys in the league. You can see him telling dad jokes most of the time, even during press conferences.
While he is on his China tour, Nike made sure that Giannis has a fresh look on him. In the Instagram video below, Giannis, who is in a Nike store, can be heard saying, “Mr. Fred, you are making me look good out here; make me look good.” He even tried double-sided shorts with florals on one side and solid colors on the other.
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When they offered Giannis the necklace made of shells and a pendant designed with his Nike Freak logo, he hilariously called out the shoe giant and remarked. “Ja got a bigger one though. But it’s okay.” After trying on sunglasses and different clothes, the 2021 NBA champion was ready to hit the road on the first day of his tour.
Giannis Antetokounmpo signed massive deal with Nike in 2017
In 2016, the Greek Freak signed a deal with Nike that paid him only $20,000 a year. However, things quickly changed for the superstar player as his status changed with his dominance on the court. With several companies like Adidas and Li-Ning chasing him to boost their sales, it was Nike’s time to seal their superstar player. Finally, in 2017, both parties agreed to a deal that would provide Giannis with $9 million a year. The same year, he became only the 22nd player in Nike history to have his own signature shoe.
The two-time NBA MVP is all set to unveil his Nike Zoom Freak 5 in China. The shoe giant sends their star players every year on a global tour to expand their business. Players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant have previously been on the world tour to promote the brand.
