Zion Williamson started to attract interest from media, teams, coaches, and numerous companies since his high school day. It was clear that Zion would become one of the most sought-after players in college basketball and became the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. There is a reason why huge shoemakers fought for his signature and endorsement deal.
Despite getting more lucrative offers from such companies as Puma and Chinese Li-Ning, Williamson decided to sign a deal with Nike’s Jordan Brand. According to ESPN’s Nick DePaula, Puma offered $15 million per year, plus the potential to add $3 million a year in bonuses. Also, Li-Ning offered up to $19 million per year.
So, why did Williamson turned down those offers to sign with Jordan Brand? Apparently, Nike blew Zion away with vision and presentation, and even though his PG 2.5 shoes didn’t last more than 30 seconds in Duke’s first game against North Carolina last February, Williamson decided to go with Nike again.
Williamson also suffered an injury following his incident with Nike shoes, but after his recovery, Nike designed and made a custom sneaker for Zion to wear for the remainder of the year. These shoes were made to accommodate Williamson’s unusual mix of power and speed. From that point, Nike did everything to recruit Williamson and add him to its Jordan Brand team, even though they cover just seven percent of NBA players at the moment.
✅ Dwayne Haskins
✅ Kia Nurse
✅ Jayson Tatum
✅ Rui Hachimura
✅ Zion WilliamsonJordan Brand is building a pretty nice roster 👀 pic.twitter.com/cdlGPdKyQS
— ESPN (@espn) July 23, 2019
Although they couldn’t give Williamson that amount of money that Puma and Li-Ning offered, Nike gave the No. 1 pick an opportunity to build a legacy with Jordan Brand and became their new face.
“It’s the way athletes are celebrated — almost mythologized — by the company over the course of history,” wrote DePaula. “Both externally to fans across the world and internally with its personal relationships.”
.@Zionwilliamson announces on Instagram that he has signed with Jordan Brand. pic.twitter.com/BjfnHLlmUs
— ESPN (@espn) July 23, 2019
