Ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama is already the consensus #1 overall pick. He’ll take his talents to San Antonio to play for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs. On Thursday, Wembanyama will hear his name called by Adam Silver at the draft. For the 19-year-old French sensation, money will not be an issue. Recent reports say his rookie shoe deal is set to exceed the $100 million mark.
ESPN’s Nick DePaula reported that Victor Wembanyama has already signed a deal with Nike. He’s been signed with them since being a pro playing in France. His current contract is set to carry over into his NBA career. On top of all this, his $100 million plus deal will break LeBron James’ $87 million record set back in 2003.
Wembanyama has the potential to be one of the next greatest players in the NBA. There’s no question why a powerhouse like Nike would not want to keep him long-term.
Think @vicw_32 will change basketball? Think bigger. 🌍
The wait is almost over. pic.twitter.com/FFQfZd71R6
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) May 17, 2023
Victor Wembanyama’s $100 million rookie shoe deal is set to break a 20-year-old record
It’s not every day that you see a rookie come into the league with a shoe deal, let alone with Nike. For Victor Wenbanyama, it was obvious that his potential and star power would command a massive contract. Nike already has Wembanyama on their roster, but competing companies could throw massive contracts at him.
Currently, only a select number of players have shoe deals north of $100 million. Those are for the best of the best like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant. Wembanyama is set to join that elite group of players before he even steps foot on an NBA court in uniform.
Interestingly enough, LeBron James turned down $115 million from Reebok as a rookie. He took the $87 million from Nike and the rest is history. In 2015, James signed a lifetime contract worth approximately $1 billion. Victor Wembanyama would love to have that type of financial stability and relationship with Nike twenty years down the line.
