Nike & NBA Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Introduce 'Coming to America'-Inspired Sneaker!
Coming to America is inspiring a new sneaker!
The shoe was inspired by Nike’s collaboration with NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for his first sneaker, the Zoom Freak 1, and learning more about the player.
“Giannis said his favorite movie was the ‘Prince Akeem movie’ … and we were like, ‘What are you talking about?’ “We’re like, ‘Oh…Coming to America.‘ He’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s what you call it here. We don’t call it that. We call it the Prince Akeem movie.’ It kind of inspired us, honestly, on a bigger narrative that was about his journey coming to America,” explained Nike exec Kevin Dodson.
“Coming to America, the 1988 cult classic remains an influential centerpiece in the upbringing of Giannis Antetokounmpo. A favorite from his youth, the film draws a glaring parallel between Giannis and Prince Akeem, the character portrayed by comedic icon Eddie Murphy. Akeem journeys from the fictional nation of Zamunda to America on a royal quest to find the woman of his dreams and be his future queen. Similarly, Giannis‘ hoop dreams from the European leagues in Athens, Greece to the greatest stage in the world, the NBA, have made his hopes of international crossover into a reality,” the brand declares.
Check out Nike’s Coming To America-inspired Zoom Freak 1 inside…
The @nikebasketball x @Giannis_An34 Zoom Freak 1 'Coming to America'
Shop ???????? https://t.co/6arghgdSnr pic.twitter.com/23kG7B3psL
— Nike.com (@nikestore) August 2, 2019