We already know that the New Orleans Pelicans will be selecting Duke Blue Devils star Zion Williamson with the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft on June 20. What we don't know is which sneaker brand will win the Zion sweepstakes.
The 18-year old phenom was originally expected to sign his sneaker deal right round the NBA Draft Lottery earlier this month, but we're now approaching June without any announcement. That said, Zion recently took part in a workout in Los Angeles and he was still rocking the Nike Kyrie 4, which could hint to which brand he's leaning towards.
The Kyrie 4 is a sneaker Zion wore numerous times during his freshman season with the Nike-sponsored Blue Devils, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he decided to stick with what he knows at the next level.
According to a report by ESPN's Nick DePaula, the man who signed Michael Jordan to Nike in 1984, Sonny Vaccaro, believes this could be the biggest bidding war in sneaker history.
"In my lifetime, I think it's going to be the biggest bidding war ever done," former sneaker executive Sonny Vaccaro said, per ESPN. "I would put them all on go."
Worth noting, LeBron James ultimately inked a seven-year, $87 million deal out of high school, while Kevin Durant's rookie deal was for 7-years, $60 million.
DePaula writes, "Vaccaro signed Michael Jordan at Nike in 1984 and later looked to offer James a $100 million contract at Adidas. Sources at multiple brands across the industry expect Williamson's deal to reach that astronomical tier."
In addition to Nike and Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, PUMA and Anta are all expected to make pitches to the future #1 pick.
