Zion Williamson signed a multiyear shoe contract with Jordan Brand. The New Orleans Pelicans rookie forward received numerous offers since he declared for the NBA Draft and following his monstrous freshman year with the Duke Blue Devils, he finally made his decision and secured a deal with Jordan Brand. Zion used his Instagram account to announce the sneaker deal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RBY9NlIvE/
“I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Jordan Brand family,” Williamson said. “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. He was one of those special athletes I looked up to, and I really can’t express how happy and excited I am for this journey.”
Details of the contract were not disclosed, but we do know that several competitors offered around $10 million per year to Zion to become their new face of the brand. Jordan Brand announced the signing internally, and they have short-term plans to launch digital billboards featuring Williamson.
“Zion’s incredible determination, character and play are inspiring,” Jordan said. “He’s an essential part of the new talent that will help lead the brand into the future. He told us he would ‘shock the world,’ and asked us to believe him. We do.”
Nike worked hard to get Williamson on board as they first hosted Zion and his family in Beaverton, Oregon, prior to the NBA draft. The Williamsons were taken on an extensive tour of the company’s headquarters and got insight into future products and apparel designs.
Breaking: Zion Williamson signs multiyear deal with Jordan Brand (@brkicks) pic.twitter.com/xfp9VlKppS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 23, 2019
At the moment, more than 67% of NBA players are wearing Nike basketball sneakers, but the company has plans to include more young players into its Jordan Brand. Right now, only around 7% of NBA players are representing Jordan Brand, and Nike is looking to involve more in the coming years.
Jordan Brand currently features signature shoes for both Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul and Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook. Zion Williamson is expected to be the next face of the brand.
“Over the last 34 years we’ve built an incredible roster of talent with the same determination and greatness as MJ,” said Jordan vice president of brand affairs Jordan White. “There is something special about Zion that reminds me of MJ when he was younger.”
