Zion Williamson, the No. 1 select of the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft has signed a multi-year sneaker deal with Jordan Brand of Nike, announced the 19-year-old rookie on Instagram on Tuesday.
Forbes learned from one of its sources that the deal is a seven-year, 75-million-U.S.-dollar contract. This is the second-largest shoe deal a rookie ever got in the NBA history – bigger than that of Kevin Durant and only next to the reportedly 90-million of LeBron James.
Williamson will join Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and Jimmy Butler under the Jordan Brand.
"I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Jordan Brand family. 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," said Williamson in a statement to ESPN.
Michael Jordan, owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the greatest player in NBA history after whom the Jordan Brand is named. /VCG Photo
"Zion's incredible determination, character and play are inspiring. 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," said Michael Jordan himself.
Though Williamson trailed James in his first shoe contract, may believe there is the same huge or even bigger business potentialities in the youngster. "I would've guaranteed it (100 million U.S. dollars) if he would've been in New York or Los Angeles. There is a difference in cities, there's no question about that," said grassroots sneaker guru Sonny Vaccaro.
ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said in November that Williamson is able to make over 1 billion U.S. dollars, just like the only guys who did it in today's sports world: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Floyd Mayweather.