Giannis Antetokounmpo has enjoyed a successful partnership with Nike spanning more than a decade.
However, things could have gone very differently for the “Greek Freak,” who could have been an Adidas-sponsored athlete if not for one issue.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals Why He Chose Nike Over Adidas
Giannis joined forces with Nike long before he became an NBA superstar with the Milwaukee Bucks. He came close to signing with Adidas before that. However, a small issue prevented the deal from going through.
The forward revealed on the “School of Hard Knocks” how he almost signed with Adidas at age 14, but walked away from the deal because he valued loyalty over money.
“At 14, Adidas approached me. They said, ‘we’ll give you €5,000’. At that time, I was making $300 per month in my team. I asked if they could sign my brother, too. They were like, ‘Yeah, we’ll sign him for €5,000 too.’”
So we go to the office and they brought the papers. That is when I realized the business side of things. I was like, ‘Where’s my brother’s contract?’ They said, ‘No, you sign yours first and then your brother will sign his.’ I said, ‘No, that’s not what you guys told me,’” Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo then revealed that Nike swooped in after the Adidas talks broke down and signed both him and his brother on the same contract. The 31-year-old remains with Nike to this day, and even has his signature collection of sneakers with the sportswear brand.
“I was like, ‘No brother, I can’t sign.’ Then we move on. I’m in the car with my agent the next day, and a lady from Nike called me and said, ‘Would you like to come with Nike?’ I said yes. I asked how much money you’ll offer me? She was like, ‘We’ll offer you €5,000.’ I asked if my brother could get the same deal. She said yes. That’s how Nike got me,” he added.
It is no secret that Antetokounmpo considers his family to be very important to him. He wears jersey number 34 in honor of his parents and credits his mother for his success.
Giannis also enjoys a tight-knit relationship with his brothers, Thanasis and Alex, both of whom are also basketball players. They also play for the Bucks, making them the first trio of brothers in NBA history to share roster spots on the same team.
