Family has always been at the core of everything that Giannis Antetokounmpo has done. He never wanted to play basketball growing up, but when he saw that he could help his family through the game, he pursued it relentlessly. In his early years in the NBA, alone in Milwaukee, he was ready to give up his whole career and move back to Greece, if his family’s US visa wasn’t approved.

Now in his fourth signature with Nike, his family continues to be the fountainhead of inspiration. From his logo to every motif; every shoe is a tribute, an homage, a nod to his parents and four siblings. And now that he’s a husband and father of two, that root sinks even deeper.

The Nike Zoom Freak 4 “Family” is assembled with disparate materials and textiles. Fittingly, as each family member is different but still belonging to a single unit. Grey proves to be the most dominant colour in the palette as seen on the ribbed midsole and quarter. The pastel scheme on the heel is iterated on the forefoot as an overlay on the mesh construction.

The “GA” logo on the tongue integrates a laurel wreath, an ancient Greek practice of awarding it to army conquerers acknowledging their achievements and as a sign of respect, which is what Giannis has done in a proverbial sense. Rounding out the design is the centrepiece: the graffiti print that encircles the heel. It’s a collage of basketball and street imagery with the words “family” and “young HEIR” emerging from the graphics.

There’s nothing announced or shared about this Zoom Freak 4 colorway yet, from Nike nor Giannis. When official images do surface, we can only hope that a release date comes to light with it. Until then, these in-hand photo will have to suffice.

On the topic of family, check out the Nike PG 6 “Paulette”, a colorway Paul George annually dedicates to his mother.