This was inevitable.
Victor Wembanyama is getting a signature shoe from Nike as part of a new contract extension with the company, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by Nike on social media.
Nike also released this formal statement:
“We are proud to continue supporting Victor Wembanyama’s journey with Nike. As one of the most unique and influential athletes in the world, Victor is a generational talent who continues to inspire the game’s next generation. We are excited about all that we’ve built together and look forward to more wins ahead.”
Wembanyama is fast becoming the biggest name in the game, a global superstar and the face of the league. He and the Spurs made a leap last year as he led them to the NBA Finals coming off a season where he was the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and was third in MVP voting.
With all that, Wembanyama getting a signature shoe — the Wemby 1 — was simply a matter of time. While the old-school thinking was that big men don’t really sell shoes (at least compared to wings/guards), Wemby might break that mold, like he has broken so many others. Wembanyama has been with Nike longer than he has been in the NBA, originally signing with Nike in 2022 while he was playing in Paris for the Metropolitans 92.
Nike currently has signature shoes for LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with Cade Cunningham set to join that group in 2027 with his new signature shoe. Wembanyama will not be far behind.
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