Zion Williamson: Jordan Brand deal is just the beginning

Earlier this week, Zion Williamson agreed to a record-breaking shoe deal with Jordan Brand. We’d better get used to this, because this is just the start of the rise of Zion and his personal brand.

When it comes to incoming rookies to the NBA, Zion Williamson is right up there with LeBron James when it comes to buzz and excitement around them. If LeBron is the “chosen one,” then it is safe to say that Zion is proclaimed as the “second coming” based on the hype.

One of the bigger questions surrounding Zion coming into his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans actually dealt with something that had nothing to do with his actual game. Everyone was wondering which sneaker brand that Zion would strike a deal with.

It turned out that even after Zion blew his foot out of a pair of Nike Kyries, he still agreed to sign with a subsidiary of Nike, the Jordan Brand. The deal is reported to be the highest shoe deal contract for a rookie of all time and is among the highest deals that Nike has ever agreed upon.

It was apparent for Nike to to keep Zion in their family. It would have been a nightmare for the brand if they lost him to another competitor such as Adidas or Under Armour after he wore Nike all last year at Duke and had the aforementioned blown sneaker/knee injury.

So we all knew that he would receive a big offer from Nike, but there were other players in the game too.

The Chinese brand Anta, which most notably endorses Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, reportedly offered him an even bigger deal than Nike that was near $100 million and easily make him the face of their brand.

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You may think that it is crazy to give a 19-year-old this much money and to make him the face of your whole company before he even plays in the NBA, but that is the reality when it comes to someone like Zion Williamson.

Zion has been in the public eye since his High School days. His viral basketball highlights made him an internet and social media legend, and he reached over one million followers on Instagram before he even set foot on campus at Duke.

Then once it was proven during his one year in college that he was the real deal, it was only a matter of time before the big sneaker deal was coming. However, although this is a huge deal and will do wonders for his personal brand, this marks only the beginning of the rise of Zion.

The history of the NBA can be broken down into different eras, with different factors and influences over the years that have driven the league.

Right now it is fair to say we are in the player empowerment era, as it seems like the big names in the league can call the shots and force their way onto any team and situation that they want.

Examples of this would be the situations we saw transpire with both Anthony Davis and Paul George.

Along with the player empowerment era, we are also in a time in the league where the players do not see themselves as just basketball players anymore.

They see themselves as a whole brand and company that can do so much more off the court that will lead to more success and wealth in addition to their play on the court.

We see this a lot more often nowadays, whether it is Kyrie Irving and his “Uncle Drew” character that turned from a Pepsi commercial to a full-feature movie or Damian Lillard using his superstar platform to start a rap career.

The biggest example of someone doing this is the biggest name in the NBA, LeBron James. He said back in 2014 that his financial goal was to one day become a billionaire, and he is well on his way.

He has really grown his name into a business, and has already done a number of things, such as investing into a pizza company, A&R’d a 2 Chainz album and producing TV shows and documentaries.

It was clear that a big factor in his move to the Los Angeles Lakers was being in Hollywood. He will now be able to be involved more with his production company (Spring Hill Entertainment) to do even more TV and Movie stuff, such as “Space Jam 2” that is currently in production.

https://twitter.com/SpringHillEnt/status/1098763688083746816

Now LeBron is a very rare case and not many people can reach his level of stardom and success, but Zion has the potential to have his own version of what LeBron and these superstars do.

As of right now, he seems to be universally loved by everyone, and that is saying a lot considering that he played at Duke. So he already has the likability, and he also seems to be a very personable and outgoing guy, which will help the marketability side of things.

All of that mixed with his exciting play will get him some endorsement deals, but if he really impresses and becomes the type of player that we think he will, then that is when his star will really blow up.

If he reaches that level, Zion truly has the potential to become an international superstar who can lead the NBA as both the top jersey and sneaker seller.

The celebrity will lead to him being able to do whatever he wants, whether that means making movies, music or investing into and/or creating different companies.

When LeBron played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the city boomed during that time and the economy there really thrived due to the business LeBron drew to the city.

Zion and his stardom could bring business and economic boost to New Orleans similar to LeBron’s impact in Cleveland.

Even though he is  just a teenager, it is still a very exciting time for the Pels and the city of New Orleans, as the next big name in not just basketball but in sports is lacing up for them.

It will be interesting to see what doors his game opens for him and what he does in the future to grow his brand. However, one thing is for sure: the Zion effect will be fun to watch and experience, and he will certainly help New Orleans both on and off the court.