The Magic rookie modeled the Undefeated Air Jordan 37 and matching camo patchwork apparel.
After landing a deal to become the lead Jumpman endorser from his draft class, No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero has already found himself in several campaign rollouts with Jordan Brand.
It all began, appropriately, with a heartfelt welcome from longtime Jordan VP Howard White. Not coincidentally, that welcome came in the exact same Beaverton-area burger joint that White ate at before officially welcoming Michael Jordan to Nike nearly 40 years ago.
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
“When Jordan stepped in, that really kind of made me raise my eyebrows,” Banchero told Boardroom earlier this year, describing the shoe deal process. “They don’t try and sign everybody.”
Since his rookie season tipped off, Banchero has looked every bit the future franchise player that the Orlando Magic were hoping for, averaging 22 points per game. The rebuilding Magic are currently on a six-game winning streak.
Banchero has also rotated through a variety of the latest key Jordans on the court. He kicked things off by repping Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic’s signature models throughout November. To start December, he was the first to debut the newest annual Air Jordan model in its first co-branded colorway.
With the rookie donning a black tee with Undefeated’s signature tally mark logo, Jordan Brand hand-picked Paolo to showcase the full footwear and apparel collection with its longtime collaborator, Undefeated. The brand and breakthrough boutique initially worked up a flight-suit-inspired olive green and orange Air Jordan Retro 4 in 2006 that’s long been considered one of the greatest Jordan collaborations ever. (A size 8 pair is currently listed online for $39,655.)
With the brand’s newest game shoe silhouette serving as the key canvas, Undefeated is once again returning to the beloved burnished olive and orange colorway atop the Air Jordan 37. The boutique’s name can be seen along the midfoot panel, while the syncing tiger camo graphic found on the shorts is also spotted along the heel collar.
When Banchero first signed with Jordan Brand, he told Boardroom that one of his early goals was to take part in launch campaigns precisely like this one. Not even halfway through his rookie season, he can check that off the list.
The full Undefeated x Jordan collection will release this Friday, Dec. 23 at Undefeated.com and at Jordan accounts worldwide.
Read More:
- Chet Holmgren Has Been Studying the Sneaker Game for Years
- Learning on the Fly: How Chet Holmgren is Spreading His Wings in OKC
- Chet Holmgren: Student of the Game
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Converse Set to Make More History Together
- Haley Jones Paves Path for WNBA Players’ Off-Court Dreams
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
