Giannis Pays Respects to Kobe, Brother Thanasis With All-Star Zoom Freak 5

On the verge of his 8th All-Star appearance, Giannis is adding to the fray of celebratory releases with a new version of his Nike Zoom Freak 5. Bearing plenty of easter eggs for the long-time fans, the links to the Nigerian-born superstar’s life run deep on this upcoming pair.

The most readily apparent honorary aspects on Giannis’ second All-Star ’24 kicks are the ties to his brother, Thanasis. It reads plain right next to the lining: “Thanasis, thanks for sharing,” an acknowledgment of their adolescence. More specifically, it’s a nod to the younger Antetokounmpo often having to borrow shoes from his elder sibling. In that same vein, both brothers’ numbers are planted on the heel. These pieces of branding run parallel to those on the Nike Giannis Immortality 3 unveiled a couple weeks back, creating a neat two pack as the ASG nears closer.

Digging deeper, there’s also a story being told in the colorway. The mismatched red & white that paints this release is a tacit nod to the Greek Freak’s first appearance at All-Star back in 2019. During that game, which predated his signature line with Nike, he sported a similarly shaded pair of Kobe Proto 4s. It was a move that followed in the path of mutual respect between the two superstars, famously beginning with Bryant issuing a challenge to the then fourth year player to win MVP.

Now boasting a collection of accolades and hardware on par with the all time greats, Giannis is seemingly in a retrospective headspace, acknowledging the path that led him there with these Zoom Freak 5s. As with the other recently announced Nike All-Star 2024 collection, Giannis’ addition to the pack will launch on February 16th, right before the weekend proper kicks off. If they follow in the steps of previous Freak 5 releases, they’ll come with a retail price of $130.

In other Nike news, check out the newest addition to JB’s holiday slate with the Jordan 3 “Brown Cement.”