The Case for Making Giannis Antetokounmpo the New Face of Nike

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Illustration by Rashaud Reed

A rendering of what a possible Giannis Antetokounmpo Nike sneaker might look like.

After Lebron James retires, Nike is going to need a new face to carry and represent the brand. With Lebron’s career undoubtedly on the back nine, the race to become the successor to the King has already started without us even knowing it. Nike already has a stable of current superstars, but there are reasons why the existing faces of Nike will not be able to successfully take over Lebron’s mantle.

Giannis doesn’t currently have a shoe deal with Nike, though he should. If he does end up with a Nike deal he will be among some glorious company, but here is why Giannis has the best case for becoming the new face of the brand.

First let’s look at their current roster:

Kyrie Irving: Although Kyrie is a skilled ball handler and adept finisher at the rim, he is nowhere near the physical make up of the Greek Freak. He does not impose enough of a character to ever reach the heights that Giannis could. Also, the divide that has emerged between Lebron and Kyrie might cause supporters of Lebron (thusly Nike) to never really fully buy into Kyrie’s star power. Also on the more trivial side of things, Kyrie supporting things like Flat Earth and saying that he doesn’t believe in Christmas might turn people away from the point guard.

Paul George: PG-13’s abilities present an interesting case. Five to six years ago, many were under the impression that Paul George might be a natural successor to Lebron while the Pacers and Heat were locked in playoff matchups. But over the last couple of years, while other stars have emerged, PG’s star power has seemed to be… well… nothing more than PG rated (probably in part to the Pacer’s descent into obscurity). In short, his legacy is up in the air.

Kevin Durant: Durant, because of his move to Golden State, has managed to finally get that coveted NBA championship. While this helps Durant’s personal legacy, the move itself puts into question his ability to win alone. Moving to the dark side does not sit well with many fans and avid shoe buyers. Not to mention, KD’s personality lacks in aggression. Many are skeptical as to whether he truly possesses the desire to take hold of Lebron’s mantle.

Giannis is the opposite of Kyrie from the standpoint that he is maybe the biggest physical freak in the league (even more than Lebron). Needless to say, Giannis does a lot of things that Lebron showed us during his first stint in Cleveland. At the same time, Giannis continues to separate himself as an NBA anomaly. Giannis can dunk from anywhere within 10 feet of the rim (it helps that he can get to that area at will) and has quietly become one of the better big-men passers in the game.

Giannis has shown that he deserves to be on the same floor as Lebron when the Bucks face off against the Cavs. Giannis has, since the 2014-15 season, boasted a 26.5ppg/9.3rpg/5.1apg line against the Cavs, which is “Lebron-like”. The only other person that has had the level of personal achievement against the King is KD, and that’s while being on one of the best teams in modern NBA history.

Off the court, Giannis fits the bill in seemingly every criteria as the next face of Nike. Most importantly, he is a foreign born player. Nike, a global company, would like nothing more than for a foreign born player to take the NBA by storm and become a worldwide icon. Also, Giannis has verbally committed his loyalty to Milwaukee. Not going to a super team in search of titles and sticking with the city that made him into the player he is today would endear him to fans everywhere. Giannis growing his personal brand while simultaneously helping grow one of the up-and-coming teams in the NBA would be nothing short of a beautiful narrative.

When, not if, Giannis gets a shoe deal with Nike, it will be only a matter of time until he takes Lebron’s place as the face of the game, and takes that title to even bigger heights.

About the image:

Rashaud Reed is an upcoming shoe designer. His inspiration began at the age of 8 where he found himself fascinated by the design of a shoe. He began to use his gift of drawing to create shoe designs.

Though all his life he wanted to be the player to sign a Jordan contract, he has pivoted dreams. In Junior year of high school he developed a greater passion to design shoes.

Rashaud is a sneaker head and avid shoe collector. He has a love for not only sports but also the comfort of a player’s shoe. He has learned the history of shoe design evident in Giannis’s sneaker.

From the words of Rashaud, “I would like to introduce to you the Poseidon 1s. My creative edge to this shoe design was inspired by Nike being a Greek Goddess of “Victory” and Giannis as Nike’s first Greek Athlete. I believe Giannis should launch with a Greek God series that pays respect to the Greek culture.”

A version of this article originally appeared on Cream City Central, a sports website based in Milwaukee that covers the Bucks, Brewers, Packers, Badgers and Golden Eagles. This article was written by staff writer Maxwell Argento. You can find more articles from them here. You can also find them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.