New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis is officially the latest member of Team Adidas, per Adidas, after Nike failed to match a competitive offer sheet. The multiyear agreement will give Porzingis an opportunity to earn anywhere between $3 million and $6 million annually in endorsement cash, according to Nick DePaula of The Vertical.
This contract serves as a huge upgrade from the $25,000 per year he was earning with Nike, according to DePaula. It also gives Porzingis the honor of having one of the loftiest shoe deals ever for a European-born NBA athlete.
Porzingis joins the ranks of James Harden, Derrick Rose, Kyle Lowry, Damian Lillard and Andrew Wiggins as torchbearers for Three-Stripe hoops. Although we haven't fully grasped what Adidas' long-term play is here, developing a path to increase basketball sales and bolster brand awareness is almost guaranteed with this latest signee.
Politic over this: Porzingis could be the first European-born NBA player to receive his own signature sneaker with the German-based brand.
Perhaps this will open the door to Adidas using more of a hemispheric approach to courting players overseas. Who better to start this trend than Porzingis?
Of course, all of these accolades won’t be handed to him on Day 1. As DePaula notes, Porzingis would have to be selected to an NBA All-Star Game, among hitting other thresholds marinated in his contract, to even be considered for a signature shoe.
If Adidas wants to simplify things, it can always make him another popular face used to carry Adidas' basketball empire. By wearing the company's base model, the high-top Crazy Explosive, the brand will continue to keep eyeballs on their products.
Either way, it was a smart decision for Adidas to poach Porzingis from Nike. The last time a marquee athlete bailed on the crew from Beaverton, Oregon, he went on to become the face of Under Armour and captured two NBA MVP awards along the way—hello, Stephen Curry.
Porzingis already is a merchandiser's dream. He plays in the biggest media market in the world and has a proven track record of selling jerseys. Last year—his rookie season—Porzingis' jersey ranked No. 15 in total sales, according to Maury Brown of Forbes.
Can that level of success translate over to a signature shoe?
There's no denying the narrative. Big men in the NBA have generally struggled to move product. When Dwight Howard was signed with Adidas, his kicks couldn't find a way off the tarmac. In 2015, Howard's shoes bottomed out at $1.5 million in sales, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes.
Adidas and Howard cut ties shortly after—Howard now calls the Chinese sports brand, Peak, his home.
On the reverse side, there have been NBA centers and power forwards who enjoyed a successful run in the footwear game. Zack Schlemmer of Sole Collector revealed Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley all evaded the dreaded big man curse.
Let’s experiment for a second: If Porzingis gets his own sneaker, what will it look like? How will it function?
We know Boost technology continues to be a driving element behind any Adidas signature model. It has been featured on everything from Derrick Rose’s shoes to Three-Stripe runners and the uber-popular Yeezy Boost line. Porzingis’ sneaker will have to use Boost technology as its base if it wants to stay within the confines of the group.
Next up is the type of cut he’ll wear. Backtracking to the sneakers he sported during his Nike tenure, Porzingis clearly has shown a level of comfort with high-tops. He frequently wore the Kobe X “Elite,” which uses lightweight, Flyknit material to weave a robust upper and increase protection around the ankles.
Understanding his past leads you to believe Porzingis’ signature shoe would in many ways reflect the Crazy Explosive. That particular sneaker uses Adidas’ Primeknit pattern to mold to an individual's foot, bolstering support from the ankle down to the sole—similar to the Kobe X “Elite.”
A variation of the Crazy Explosive, perhaps with additional bells and whistles, like a Yeezy-inspired strap and a more complex lacing system, would be a safe bet for his debut sneaker.
Below is a conceptualized look at what his signature shoe might look like if his love of high-top kicks was incorporated with Adidas' forward-thinking design.
Whether he reaches the pinnacle of sneaker allure or not remains to be seen. As a big man in the NBA, Porzingis is going to have an uphill climb.
The one thing we do know is Adidas has reached into Nike’s pocket and stolen an asset. Porzingis’ popularity has made him a fast-rising star in the NBA and a global ambassador of the sport. His leap from Nike to Adidas opens up yet another chapter in the ongoing war for basketball supremacy.
All production information and release dates via Nike News and Adidas News, unless noted otherwise.
0 nhận xét: