Tag: New Balance

Every company has a different approach. …

Every company has a different approach. These days, players have a ton of options when they hit sneaker free agency. Nike, adidas and Jordan Brand are still on top, but many competitors are now in the space including Under Armour, PUMA, New Balance, AND1, Converse, Li-Ning, Anta, Peak and Q4 among others. Agents are welcoming these brands with open arms, as it only helps them do their job.

Darius Bazley making ‘significant progress’ from bone bruise injury

Bazley suffered the bone bruise injury to his right knee during the first quarter of a loss to the Celtics on Feb. 9.

Things are looking better for Darius Bazley.

The Thunder rookie forward is continuing to work back from a bone bruise in his right knee that he suffered in a loss to the Celtics back on Feb. 9.

The medical staff initially ruled him out for four-to-six weeks before being re-evaluated, and although Billy Donovan told reporters before Thursday’s game against the Sacramento Kings that Bazley has made “significant progress”, according to Erik Horne of The Athletic, Donovan said as of now, Oklahoma City is not planning on deviating from the original plan.

Per Horne, Donovan did add, however, that “everything they’ve put him (Bazley) through, he’s responded really well to.”

Bazley’s injury occurred late in the first quarter of Oklahoma City’s loss to the Celtics on a drive to the basket. Bazley tried to Euro step past both Enes Kanter and Grant Williams, landing awkwardly as he planted his right leg.

Prior to injuring his knee, Bazley had appeared in all 53 games for the Thunder and is averaging 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in his first year in the league.

One thing that Bazley might have a little more time for as he rehabs his knee is organizing his shoe collection.

View this post on Instagram

I love New Balance❤️👟

A post shared by @ dariusbazley on

The rookie, who interned at New Balance last year instead of playing collegiately, showed off his kicks on his Instagram Thursday afternoon with the caption “I love New Balance” with a heart and shoe emoji.

New Balance will continue to expand in …

New Balance will continue to expand in the sport of basketball by announcing a new multi-year partnership with the NBA. As part of the new agreement, the sportswear brand will be able to create authentic broadcast, digital and retail content featuring New Balance-sponsored athletes wearing their respective NBA uniforms and team logos. The partnership will officially start with New Balance’s upcoming “We Got Now” campaign that features the reigning NBA All-Star MVP, Kawhi Leonard inspired by his journey of becoming the best in the game. The campaign will air during the Denver Nuggets v.s. Los Angeles Clippers game on Feb. 28 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

By 2018, concurrent with the R&D team, …

By 2018, concurrent with the R&D team, New Balance began pitching potential endorsees with the goal of bringing a shoe to market in October 2019. Remember, the typical turnaround is a year and a half. These early pitches didn’t have prototypes or samples. It was all theoretical, just hope and hunger waiting for a chance to come to life. During this time, the design team received word that Kawhi Leonard was on the radar. Usually a player of this caliber doesn’t ever hit the free agency market, but he had turned down a four-year, $22 million extension with Jordan Brand in March 2018 and the company announced that it would let him walk in October 2018.

“We went from the world not knowing …

“We went from the world not knowing about New Balance Basketball in October (2018) to ‘Can we get him in a New Balance shoe by the All-Star game in February (2019)?’ ” Grondin said. “I’ve been enjoying it. One of the reasons that I came is I wanted to build and start something of my own,” Leonard explained in late January, after being asked why he chose to sign a multiyear contract with New Balance in the neighborhood of $5 million annually. “Start with this new company in basketball and they’ve been great. And we’re going to keep building this relationship from here.”

“We’re not going to turn Kawhi into an …

“We’re not going to turn Kawhi into an Instagram comedian,” Cassidy said when asked about the brand’s conscious decision to heavily lean into Leonard’s eccentricities. New Balance followed that up with another billboard, this one reading “Board Man Gets Titles,” a reference to a story by The Athletic that went viral last season. Merchandise followed in the form of plain black t-shirts with “Fun Guy” in the most ho-hum box lettering imaginable.

New Balance Basketball announced today …

New Balance Basketball announced today the endorsement deal with San Antonio Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray. To officially welcome him to the New Balance family, Murray is featured in a new commercial spot where he “inspires us with a little motivation” and reveals the black and white OMN1S colorway “Lights Out” launching globally December 4th. The commercial’s tone is tongue-in-cheek, set by Murray naming himself a “hair icon” – but his message is from the heart. He dispenses motivational tidbits like “success isn’t a straight line” and “find your own path”, but these truisms find real meaning for a player like Murray, whose road to starting point guard has been anything but conventional. Before Murray earned a reputation as a rising star in the league and an endorsement deal with global athletic leader New Balance, he had to first put in the work.

RJ Marquez: #Spurs point guard Dejounte …