The Nike Giannis Freak 8 Suits Up For “The Academy”

Oakland A's vibes.

Andrew Rizzo August 6, 2026

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The Peach Jam may be in the rear-view, but Nike Youth Basketball isn’t done for the summer just yet. Yesterday marked day one of The Academy in Los Angeles, another invite-only showcase featuring some of the brightest young talent the sport has to offer. And much like we’ve seen throughout the EYBL circuit, it hasn’t taken long for event-specific PEs to begin surfacing online.

Here we have the Nike Giannis Freak 8 “Academy” PE, dressed in a high-contrast mix of yellow and green. The gallery below comes courtesy of Nike and NBA shooting coach @lethalshooter, who wore the pair himself on day one of the event. Green takes over the tongue and central side panel, while bright yellow handles most of the remaining upper. The Academy’s circular basketball logo appears on both the tongue and heel.

These won’t see a public release, but the Giannis Freak 8 did make its retail debut through the Nike website last week. See detailed images of the “Academy” PE below and visit our Sneaker Release Dates page for more.

: @lethalshooter

: @lethalshooter

: @lethalshooter

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Written by

Andrew Rizzo, Junior Editor

Andrew Rizzo is an editor at Sneaker News based out of New York City. His primary interests include Air Jordan, Nike ACG, Nike Air Max, and New Balance footwear. Prior to joining Sneaker News, Andrew covered youth sports for several outlets and worked at one of the world’s top performance marketing agencies. He hails from Astoria, Queens and is a huge New York sports fan, particularly when it comes to the Knicks and Yankees.