How do Giannis Antetokounmpo shoes Zoom Freaks compare to other NBA stars' signature lines?
Giannis Antetokounmpo has come a long way: from being stateless a decade ago to becoming an NBA champion and Nike's signature athlete. The Greek Freak is one of the best players in the league and his Zoom Freak shoes are also very popular.
Antetokounmpo's Zoom Freak 4 shoes were released in August 2022, shortly before the 2022-23 season began. The latest colorway of the shoe came out in October.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's shoes have achieved a lot of success so far. His low-top sneakers have four different models and multiple colorways, so let's see how they compare to other NBA stars' signature lines.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's Zoom Freak shoes compared to other lines of Nike signature shoes
Giannis Antetokounmpo is only 27 and will most likely release many more models of his Zoom Freak signature shoes. With the way he's been playing so far, we expect him to dominate the league for many more years.
The Milwaukee Bucks forward got his first signature shoe, Zoom Freak 1, in 2019. When compared to LeBron James, Giannis has fewer signature shoes than the LA Lakers superstar. However, this is not surprising since James got his first signature shoe in 2003, during his rookie season.
The four-time MVP champion has more than 20 signature shoes with Nike, which is very impressive. Kevin Durant is another NBA superstar who's had a long-term deal with the footwear company. The Brooklyn Nets forward has 15 signature shoes as of 2022.
Nike has made signature shoes for several other popular stars, including Kyrie Irving and Paul George. Irving, who has been quite controversial lately, has eight signature shoes with the footwear giant, despite calling his latest shoes a "trash."
Kyrie Irving's reaction to leaked photos of the Nike Kyrie 8 shoes:
"IMO these are trash! I have absolutely nothing to do with them!" https://t.co/6nKvjG2Siv
The LA Clippers forward has six signature shoes with Nike so far. The PG 7 are expected to be released during the first half of 2023.
Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Adidas signature athletes
Nike has taken over the NBA in the past few years and has signed some of the best players in the league. However, they still have to compete with other companies, mostly Adidas.
The Germany-based company has some top-tier NBA guards under contract. James Harden is one of the best Adidas-sponsored athletes, but it wasn't until 2015 that he signed a contract with the footwear company.
The guard got his first signature shoe in 2016 and has had six signature shoes so far. Similar to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Harden did not become a superstar right after entering the league, which is why it took a while for him to get a signature deal.
Adidas has also signed Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Derrick Rose and Damian Lillard. During his prime years, Rose had amazing Adidas shoes that were very popular. Despite not being a superstar anymore, the former MVP still gets signature shoes.
Before the 2022-23 season started, Damian Lillard announced the launch of Dame Certified, a budget-friendly sneaker line. These signature shoes cost $95 and the Portland Trail Blazers superstar intends to wear them throughout the season.