We do not yet know for sure if LSU’s Ben Simmons will be wearing a uniform of the Philadelphia 76ers or Los Angeles Lakers next basketball season, but we do know what brand will be providing his gear.
Simmons, who is expected to be the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft, announced he has agreed to a contract with Nike. He did so with a brief video message on Twitter.
UNINTERRUPTED Exclusive: @BenSimmons25 announces he will be part of the @Nike family.https://t.co/l5B7Xq3uvB
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) June 7, 2016
Simmons will very likely be making his way to Philadelphia as the top overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. That would mean Nike has endorsement deals with the two newest franchise players in town. Nike already locked up new Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz to a deal, arguably giving Nike a strong footing with the two biggest name sin the city for years to come if all goes according to plan. That’s a nice move for Nike.
Of course, it is also a sweet deal for Simmons. As previously noted here on The Comeback, Simmons was expected to be abler to land a shoe endorsement deal valued over than $100 million Simmons has long been outfitted in Nike gear too, having worn the swoosh in high school and during his one season at LSU.
It is expected Adidas made a higher offer than Nike, but Nike’s track record still speaks for itself. The financial terms of the new Nike deal, however, have not been reported at this time.
