It's been a great couple of days for Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, to say the least.
On Tuesday, he helped the Bucks secure the Emirates NBA Cup title, taking down the OKC Thunder in dominant fashion. On Wednesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Lillard had signed a lifetime deal with Adidas, tying him to the brand forever. Lillard now joins LeBron James (Nike), Kevin Durant (Nike) and Stephen Curry (Under Armour/Curry Brand) as active players with a lifetime deal.
Lillard is currently on the ninth iteration of his signature shoe with Adidas and the second he has worn since being traded to Milwaukee last year. Damian Lillard also has a takedown, budget-friendly model, the "Dame Certified," which is currently on its third shoe. For fans of these two lines, it appears they will not be going away anytime soon.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo may get this nod soon enough
While this is just pure speculation, Damian Lillard may not be the only Milwaukee Bucks player to earn this honor in time. Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently with Nike. The Greek Freak is on the sixth iteration of his signature shoe line, the "Nike Zoom Freak," and the fourth of his budget model, the "Giannis Immortality."
As evidenced by Charania's tweet, only the best of the best get lifetime deals, so it would only make sense for Giannis Antetokounmpo to get one of his own. Giannis, who just took home the MVP from the NBA Cup, is seemingly only getting better with each passing season. His status among the greats is already cemented, but he's only climbing higher each year. Nike should be all over this.
Giannis has been with Nike since 2013 when he first came into the league. In 2017, he re-upped with the company with an extension that included a signature shoe, which spawned the "Zoom Freak" line. The two-time MVP and Finals MVP is unquestionably on the Nike Mount Rushmore among active NBA athletes with their own signature lines, up there with LA's LeBron James and Phoenix's Kevin Durant.
It feels like it should only be a matter of time before this particular message comes out about Giannis and Nike, but only time will truly tell. While a lifetime deal would certainly be nice, Antetokounmpo will remain focused on helping the Milwaukee Bucks win and letting everything else come in time.
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