Weeks ago it was reported that Damian Lillard might opt out of his current shoe deal with adidas. The fast-rising NBA star reached some achievements, such as winning the Rookie of the Year and becoming an All-Star in his second year, that apparently gave him the power to choose to stay or go to another brand. A bit of a weird deal to put in a contract (the better you do, the better your chance of opting out), but then again we don't know what happened in the negotiations that made it that way.
Now, reports are coming out that Lillard and adidas are close to finalizing a renewal contract. adidas had 30 days to reach an agreement with Lillard and his management before the latter could go out and talk to other brands. That window ended April 1, and it looks like adidas used that time wisely.
adidas fans, breathe a sigh of relief. In a sport where the brand badly needs a new face, Lillard is one of the few that could lift the brand now and in the long run. Its other NBA superstar endorsers just aren't clicking this season - Derrick Rose of course is with another season-ending injury (may he finally make The Return next season!) and Dwight Howard lost some popularity points after his stint in LA. The other up and coming adidas players haven't achieved as much as Lillard and the Blazers this season (e.g. John Wall), or at least don't have as popular a style of play (e.g. Joakim Noah).
Lillard is averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists this season with almost 40% shooting from beyond the arc. He's built a nice, family guy image off the court but a no-nonsense, killer-in-the-clutch persona on it (hmmm... that sounds like D Rose!). Not to mention he showed off all his skills in the last All-Star Weekend - playing in five contests including the Slam Dunk, Three Point and Skills Challenge activities.
He's been wearing different adidas kicks throughout his NBA career, supporting the brand whenever they needed it. But next season might just be the right time to give him his own signature shoe. I'm pretty sure that was part of the deal to re-sign him. So let's cross our fingers and hope we don't have to wait too long for the adidas Lillard 1!
In the meantime, let's look at some of his sneaker highlights so far:
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| The "Real Deal" - to celebrate his Rookie of the Year award. |
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Lillard sported the Crazy Quick 1 (among others) for his rookie year.
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| The Crazy Quick 2 was just one of the shoes he wore at this year's All-Star Weekend. |
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On All-Star Saturday, Lillard wore three different colorways of the D Rose 4.5.
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| He recently launched an exclusive Florist City colorway of the Crazy 1. |
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| The limited edition Crazy 8 Lillard PE. |
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