“Why don’t Giraffes play basketball?”: Giannis Antetokounmpo teases Nike shoe with a corny pun

Giannis Antetokounmpo has never been afraid to crack a Dad joke, and the father of two is at it again. The Greek Freak took to Twitter to tease the release of his shoes and used quite a corny pun to show them off.

The two-time MVP tweeted a picture of him flexing. He then replied to the tweet showing off an unreleased colorway of his newest signature show, the “Nike Freak 5”. The colorway featured a purple and black base, a golden swoosh and neon pink and green accents. Anteokounmpo completed the post with a corny caption.

“Why don’t giraffes play basketball?” Antetokounmpo asked on X and replied to his tweet, saying, “Too many cheetahs.”

The pictures also show the punny joke inscribed on the shoes' tongues. The release date of the “safari dad joke” edition of the shoes has not been confirmed yet.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Nike deal

Giannis Antetokounmpo has his signature line of shoes and clothing with Nike. The Milwaukee Bucks star signed with the mega apparel company before becoming a star when he entered the league in 2013.

In his first deal, Nike paid Antetokounmpo just $20,000 per year. His current contract is worth more.

In 2017, he re-signed with Nike. He turned down offers from Adidas, Li-Ning and Under Armour.

The deal introduced his signature shoe, the “Zoom Freak.” The first edition was a high-seller. The deal was long-term, and Antetokounmpo is still with the brand. His signature line is now on the fifth model. He also has a side, lesser-expensive edition of his shoe called the “Giannis Immortality.”

According to Forbes and Bleacher Report, Antetokounmpo makes $10 million yearly from his Nike partnership. That number does not include royalties from shoe and branded apparel sales.

The popularity of the Zoom Freak 1 led to the release of the Zoom Freak 2 in 2019. The Zoom Freak 3 followed in 2021. The Freak 4 dropped the next year, with the newest edition, the Freak 5, released before this season.

Antetokounmpo also has his own line of clothing. The brand is his collaboration with his brothers and is called “AntetokounBros.” The brand is growing in the U.S., with a new store in Milwaukee that opened in October. They have already had great success in Europe as a fast-growing streetwear brand with stores in Greece.