Nike just debuted the highly-anticipated Wemby logo during a solar eclipse: “The total eclipse has just begun”
As the US anticipated Monday's solar eclipse, shoe giant Nike used the natural phenomenon to debut what is likely Victor Wembanyama's logo. The Swoosh brand signed the French teenage phenom to its fold even before he was drafted into the NBA. Given that he has surpassed the high expectations, it is but moot and academic that he is getting his own shoe. The only question there was 'when?'. With Monday's revelation, it could mean very soon.
Nike dropped a video that may have revealed the Wemby shoe logo. Although Victor wasn't in the video, all signs pointed to him.
LeBron James baptized Wemby with an otherworldly nickname
LeBron James is called King, while the ultra-talented big men who have come after him are dubbed as unicorns. But when LeBron himself was asked about Wembanyama in 2022, he baptized the then 18-year-old French teenager with an otherworldly nickname.
"Everybody's been a unicorn over the last few years, but he's [Wembanyama] more like an alien," said James. " No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor. I mean at 7'4 or 7'5 or 7'3, or whatever the case might be. He can put the ball on the floor, shoot step back jumpers out of the post, step back threes, catch and shoot threes, block shots."
The King was correct. After 69 regular season games played, Wembanyama has averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game.
More importantly, Wembanyama has shown that he can play the long NBA season and withstand contact from bigger opponents. Truth be told he is every bit the Alien that LeBron crowned him to be. And so now, the Nike logo.
Only 9 NBA players have gotten signature shoes as a rookie
Going back to the Nike commercial, the video begins with the phrase 'Somewhere in South Texas, ' which can easily be San Antonio. And then the Alien logo is unmistakably Wemby. Nike's social media post on the 'X' platform was also captioned, "The total eclipse has just begun," and that is also an obvious reference to Wemby's rookie season.
Wemby debuted the Nike GT Hustle 'Alien' when he played during the Rising Stars Game at All-Star weekend. The shoe had a customized alien logo, which Wemby reportedly drew. That shoe is now slated for a May 3 release at $170.
That PE of the GT Hustle is cool, but it's not a signature shoe. Given Wemby's stature, there is no question he deserves his own shoe. Considering his popularity, that shoe would be a hit right now. a
Only 9 players have received their own shoe as rookies in the history of the NBA. Technically, Wemby will still be a rookie until he plays his first game of the 2024-25 season. With the logo now out, perhaps Nike is targeting him to become the 10th freshman to have a signature shoe, and rightfully so.
