As shoe apparel companies begin prepping pitches to lure in Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2017 Most Improved Player is just starting to embark on what’s sure to be a wild two weeks of meetings. Nike and Adidas are both among the companies with significant interest in him, ESPN writer Nick DePaula reports.
Big week for Giannis Antetokounmpo's shoe deal negotiations. Met with adidas yesterday, Nike today & Li-Ning is expected to make huge offer.
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) September 20, 2017
Under Armour also has interest in bringing him in, but ESPN’s Nick Metallinos reports Adidas is currently viewed as a front-runner.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a meeting with Nike later today, but I'm told that he is leaning towards signing with adidas.
— Nick Metallinos (@NickMetallinos) September 20, 2017
Antetokounmpo is coming off the best season of his professional career, a campaign which saw him average 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
The consensus is that he’s become a top-3 player in the Eastern Conference, and major apparel companies have taken notice. Adidas even sent him a truck full of supplies to sweeten their chances at nabbing him. Antetokounmpo posed in front of the truck with teammate Thon Maker for pictures Wednesday afternoon.
It’s believed he’s seeking a deal that pays in the range of $7-to-10 million, according to ESPN, which is millions more than what he was getting paid under his Nike contract — said to be around $25,000. That contract ends on October 1.
