This post has been updated.
Washington Wizards point guard John Wall’s days as a sneaker free agent are over. The Washington Post confirmed Sunday that Wall has agreed to a five-year endorsement deal with Adidas, the company he broke ties with in 2015. Terms of the deal, first reported by Yahoo Sports’s Shams Charania, were not immediately available.
Sources: Washington Wizards All-Star John Wall has agreed to a five-year endorsement deal with Adidas. Wall returns to the brand after testing shoe free agency over the past couple years.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 7, 2018
Following his standout freshman season at Kentucky and before the Wizards selected him No. 1 in the 2010 NBA draft, Wall signed a five-year, $25 million endorsement deal with Reebok. In January 2013, a few months after Reebok released Wall’s third signature shoe, the point guard announced that he was leaving Reebok for its parent company, Adidas.
During Wall’s rookie season, rumors swirled that his Reebok shoes contributed to him missing 13 games with foot and knee injuries. Wall also missed the first 33 games of his third season with a knee injury.
Adidas unveiled two signature shoes for Wall, the J Wall 1 and the J Wall 2. The second hit the shelves on Oct. 31, 2015, one month after Wall’s contract with Adidas expired. The Vertical reported that Wall’s signature shoes with Reebok and Adidas “underperformed at retail,” but Adidas offered him an eight-year, $66 million contract to continue their partnership. Wall rejected the offer.
John Wall is officially back with Adidas. Had turned down 8 year / $66 Million extension in 2015 and played last 2 seasons as shoe free agent. https://t.co/Skmbmw6xau
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) January 7, 2018
A source told the Vertical at the time that Wall “wanted Harden money,” referencing the 13-year, $200 million deal Adidas offered Houston Rockets star James Harden to convince him to leave Nike in August 2015.
“My main focus is just play basketball,” Wall told reporters in November 2015. “I let my agents and marketing team and them negotiate and talk. I’m just trying to focus on the season and not worry about what’s going on off the court and play basketball.”
A few months after his contract with Adidas expired, Wall fired his agent, Dan Fegan, and replaced him with LeBron James’s childhood friend and agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. Given that most of Paul’s clients, including James and Ben Simmons, have shoe deals with Nike, many expected Wall to follow suit or perhaps sign with Jordan Brand, a Nike subsidiary.
Wall has worn Nike and Jordan Brand, as well as Adidas, since his last endorsement deal expired. After the four-time all-star wore a version of his Adidas signature shoes with a floral print pattern during a game in late December, Hoop District’s Neil Dalal reported that Wall would return to the company “in the very near future.”
Wall’s deal with Adidas comes two months after Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, another one of the league’s biggest sneaker free agents, signed with Nike.
Candace Buckner contributed to this report.
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