Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season in the NBA is now over, and he has lived up to all of the massive hype that has surrounded him for at least the past 18 months.
He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game, and there’s no telling how much better he’ll be in just a couple more years when he’ll still be several seasons away from entering his prime.
Nike has released a logo for Wembanyama’s merch with the company, and per “4thand1show” on Twitter, former NFL MVP quarterback Cam Newton likes it, but he had one big question: Does Wembanyama own the rights to it?
“That’s fire! But does he own the logo?”@CameronNewton reacts to Nike unveiling @wemby’s logo, emphasizing the importance for young athletes to own their brand pic.twitter.com/4SLfbu32Yw
— 4thand1show (@4thand1show) April 16, 2024
Wembanyama’s logo is a play on his nickname “The Extraterrestrial,” and Newton made it clear that he feels it is important for marketable athletes to own the rights to their own logos.
While Nike owns the rights to Michael Jordan’s “Jumpman” logo, the late Kobe Bryant did manage to own the rights to his “Black Mamba” nickname.
There is no telling how much money Wembanyama will make both for himself and for Nike in the years to come.
Of course, there is also no telling just how utterly dominant the 7-foot-4 French native will be in the years to come.
His San Antonio Spurs struggled mightily this season, finishing 22-60, which was the second-worst record in the Western Conference, but it wasn’t his fault, as they had little help around him.
On the other hand, those struggles mean they will have a high lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and although this year’s draft class is considered weak, perhaps they will find a diamond in the rough there to pair with Wembanyama.
NEXT:
Victor Wembanyama Reveals What He’s Most Proud Of In Rookie Season