Victor Wembanyama is causing quite the buzz both on and off the court. He has reportedly been offered a $100 million contract from Nike, the biggest in the brand’s history. While not much is known about Wembanyama’s business with Nike, it is rather inevitable that the duo will be launching Wemby’s line anytime this year. Nike made a splash recently by unveiling, what many consider to be Wembanyama’s “alien logo”.
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That’s right, Nike basketball just dropped a jaw-dropping trailer that portrays what many believe, is Wembanyama’s logo. The cinematic trailer opens with the words “Somewhere in South Texas“, possibly hinting at San Antonio. The shot then pans to an open field that portrays the famed logo.
The logo appears to be an alien embedded inside a basketball while being accompanied by two Nike “Swoshes” beneath it. The logo overall is well designed, with rumors of Wembanyama having a hand in the design process also surfacing.
The sneaker brand has been planning the drop for some time now, as they very thoughtfully did it on the same day as a total solar eclipse. The celestial event added a sense of otherworldly presence to the event, drawing comparisons to Wembanyama’s moniker “alien”.
Victor Wembanyama and Nike inked the deal way before
Victor Wembanyama is having a record-shattering rookie year in the NBA. The Spurs center is averaging 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks even earning comparisons with the all-time GOAT. While he has just made his name known in the United States, the 19-year-old has been touted to be a generational player for some time now.
Having done their scouting well, Nike inked the Frenchman to a long-term deal before anyone even had the chance. In fact, Wembanyama hadn’t played a single game in the NBA before he got signed to his current deal.
A Forbes insider has also revealed that Wembanyama’s contract is worth 100 million dollars and possibly more. These estimates put his rookie contract at the top of the list, possibly tied with Hornets star LaMelo Ball, as the largest rookie contract in basketball history.
Aside from LaMelo Ball’s $100 Million contract with Puma, other younger players like Zion Williamson [Jordan Brand – 5 years/$75 million], Ben Simmons [5 year/20 Million], and Marvin Bagley III, have also inked major rookie shoe deals in the recent past.
While no one in the past has touched the $100 million mark, LeBron came close [7 years/90 Million] with his rookie contract with Nike back in 2003. With no signs of the sneaker culture coming to a stop, the future looks bright for athletes around the world, as the sneaker game goes global with Wembanyama’s historic signing.
