Zion Williamson crossed another dream off any NBA-aspiring kid’s bucket list. On July 23, naturally, Jordan Brand announced the addition of the high-flying No. 1 Draft pick to its “family” of talent. But now that Jordan Brand won what was surely a bidding war for his services, what should it do with the prize next?
A myriad of questions are being asked and debated, but a profound one is: Does it make the rookie the face of the brand? At first, the notion may seem preposterous since Jordan Brand’s roster sports a bevy of proven, Hall-of-Fame-bound NBA talent. Additionally, Russell Westbrook is now a veteran spokesman for the brand with his own signature shoe, and fresh recruits include the recently signed Jayson Tatum.
But when you look at Jordan Brand’s heritage, an upstart rookie shaking up the NBA world is exactly what its namesake did. Those are humongous sneakers to fill, but throughout Williamson’s short basketball career, he has lived up to and soared past the hype. He went from the No. 2 player in his recruiting class at Duke—No. 1 was RJ Barrett—and leapfrogged to the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft after his freshman season. That NCAA cameo included sold-out arenas with JAY-Z and LeBron James in attendance. Another of those admirers is Michael Jordan himself, who said, “Zion’s incredible determination, character, and play are inspiring," in a statement.
Jordan Brand likely paid a pretty penny for Williamson’s services, so it makes sense that it would want a maximum return on its investment by elevating the incoming rookie immediately. According to one Forbes source, he will earn $75 over seven years.
Williamson is already a proven commodity despite not yet lacing up sneakers for a regular season game—surely Duke University’s coffers only got flusher with his presence on campus. That puts the pressure on Jordan Brand not to squander the marketing dream in its cabinet. And in many ways, the brand’s roster has prepared them to master a winning formula with Williamson.
It has a leaper who finishes ferociously at the rim in Blake Griffin. Then there’s the fierce competitor in Chris Paul with a naturally high basketball IQ, and a baby-faced player who gets a copious amount of grown man buckets in Carmelo Anthony (when he’s playing). It even has a guard with a motor that just doesn’t stop in Russell Westbrook. Williamson possesses all those aforementioned traits and is now a fresh template to push Jordan Brand further, and he arrives at an ideal moment.
Most recently Westbrook was deemed the face of the proper Air Jordan line, now on its 33rd iteration with model. But that spot was essentially left vacant with the arrival of his own signature performance line, the Jordan "Why Not?" Zer0. Kawhi Leonard could have slid into that role, but after a tumultuous final year with the San Antonio Spurs, and being sidelined with an injury, he was gone in a blink—into the waiting arms of New Balance. That leaves this bright-eyed teenager primed to take the keys to Jordan Brand, and lead the Air Jordan model.
Williamson won’t be without competition, though. He has a friendly rival over at Nike in No.2 NBA Draft Pick Ja Morant, whose forays to the rim can be just as spectacular. Others competing for the imaginations and wallets of fans, ballers, and sneakerheads include No. 6 pick Jarrett Culver, who signed with Adidas, No. 5 pick Darius Garland, and No. 10 pick Cam Reddish, who both signed with Nike. And there’s also fellow Jordan Brand family member Rui Hachimura.
Regardless, Williamson is a likely once-in-a-generation-type player. Waiting on making him the face of the Air Jordan is delaying the inevitable. Jordan Brand just needs provide the top-of-the-line footwear and innovation, add some savvy marketing that utilizes the kid’s charm, and Zion Williamson will surely cover his side of the bargain by filling up stat sheets, collecting more awards, and finessing monstrous dunks.
But the number one priority is to prevent a catastrophe by assuring Jordan Brand shoes never disintegrate on the court, ever.
