He is only 19 years old, has never worn an NBA jersey, but the French prodigy Victor Wembanyama is already making sponsors salivate, to the point that specialists see in him an advertising potential equivalent to that of the biggest names in modern sport.
“It’s unique,” enthused Sonny Vaccaro, the man who signed Michael Jordan to Nike and Kobe Bryant to Adidas. “In a lifetime of assessing the financial worth of sportspeople, I’ve never seen anything like it. This kid is going to go down in history. »
The first big contract expected for the one who should be selected Thursday by the San Antonio Spurs is that of the equipment manufacturer, which traditionally commits before the other sponsors.
In February, one of the agents of “Wemby”, Bouna Ndiaye, evoked, in an interview with ESPN, the symbolic threshold of 100 million dollars to associate his name with a brand of shoes.
This would be a record for a player who has never taken part in an NBA game, ahead of the 90 million offered by Nike to LeBron James in 2003.
Already under contract with Wembanyama, Nike is well positioned to keep him in his stable, after upgrading.
Steve Rosner, of the 16W Marketing agency, sees this “deal” quickly completed by a few million from trading cards and other derivative products.
“A Unique Ambassador”
“With the promotion and the hype he has already benefited from”, in the media but also through the North American league, which has made it possible to broadcast his matches in France in the United States, “he is a unique ambassador , who can obtain this type of contract even before having set foot on an NBA floor, ”he insists.
For a long time, foreigners landing in the NBA aroused little interest among sponsors, like Hakeem Olajuwon, Dirk Nowitzki or Pau Gasol.
“Madison Avenue prefers an American,” said consultant Marty Blackman to the New York Times in 1995, referring to the big advertising agencies of the “Big Apple”, which shunned Olajuwon, yet defending champion with Houston.
But for Victor Matheson, a professor at Holy Cross University, the situation changed in 2002, with the arrival of the Chinese Yao Ming. It “was important, because it opened the Chinese market to the NBA,” he recalls.
But today, the league has more fans outside its territory than there are inhabitants in the United States.
According to Forbes magazine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, twice voted best player in the NBA and champion in 2021, has earned more off the court ($45 million) than the salary paid to him by the Milwaukee Bucks ($42 million).
“Victor can open new markets” to the NBA, anticipates Victor Matheson. Its international profile can even attract multinationals with a global marketing strategy, according to Steve Rosner, like Yao Ming with Coca-Cola, McDonald’s or Visa, in his time.
“Make Victor Rare”
Twenty years ago, playing in a small market like San Antonio could have diminished the commercial appeal of a player, no matter how strong. But “the NBA is globalized today”, recalls Sonny Vaccaro, thanks to streaming and social networks. “It doesn’t matter anymore. »
The other “Blank Check” partnerships, as former player Jalen Rose has dubbed it, may take a bit longer to materialize.
Firstly because the player and his entourage are in no hurry. “We want to make Victor rare,” explained Bouna Ndiaye in February. And, according to the agent, “he’s turning down multi-million dollar contracts because he wants to focus on basketball.”
Side partners, “you probably do not want to bet the whole company on a player, who has never played a minute in the NBA”, then argues Victor Matheson. “They will wait to see a little more. »
But “if he does everything in the field” that is expected of him, “the rest will follow”, warns Steve Rosner.
“To earn the same amounts as LeBron James or Michael Jordan, it’s not the first (sponsorship) contract that counts,” said Victor Matheson. “Jordan didn’t become a billionaire because of a good first deal, but because, over the years, “his game allowed him to sign contract after contract. »