Yahoo Sports broke the story this week that New York Knicks second-year phenom Kristaps Porzingis has left Nike, who he had a deal with while overseas, for Adidas. And a hefty new deal it is. From Yahoo:
The deal, negotiated by agent Andy Miller of ASM Sports, pays the New York Knicks power forward between $3 million and $6 million annually. That starting range could escalate each year based on several performance incentives such as point-average thresholds, playoff appearances and All-NBA or All-Star team selections. His previous brand, Nike, held a "right to match" clause and waited until the very end to decline to match adidas' offer.
Source: Kristaps Porzingis ready to take off with adidas.
That's the largest deal for any European player in history, Yahoo reports, and a sign of his growing popularity. His was the fourth-most popular jersey last season, which says a lot considering how bad New York was last year.
It's also a risk for Adidas, given the struggles of big men to sell shoes. But with stretch fours the new most-en-vogue position, the power of the New York market, and Porzingis' cult-like popularity on social media, it's a wise investment. Adidas has been expanding its range of athletes in its stable since it elected not to pursue renewal of the league's official apparel deal which expires at the end of this season. James Harden signed a huge new deal last summer and debuted his first signature shoe earlier this month.
We'll see if Porzingis can bring back the big man shoe.
