Tag: Sneakers

“Even Russ was giving me shit sometimes …

“Even Russ was giving me shit sometimes like ‘Why you wearing these?’” Schröder said of Russell Westbrook, his former Thunder teammate. “I used to wear them growing up, so I felt comfortable playing in them. I had PGs on some and tried to switch them, but last year I had KDs on a lot. “People were like ‘Why you gotta wear KDs?’ I was like ‘Bro, it’s just a shoe.’”

The three-time NBA All-Star is said to …

The three-time NBA All-Star is said to be now getting $9 million a year from Nike. “For an athlete we’re just starting to learn about, you need more time,” Klein said. “He’s an inquisitive type of person hungry for information and to know of what Nike has to offer. What we got from him was that family was the biggest piece to his life. He always wants to feel like he’s supporting them and being supported by them. Giannis is a special one because he wound up sleeping at the gym to learn the game. His whole life is about basketball. Overall, he’s a very humble guy.”

Antetokounmpo, who turns 25 this week, …

Antetokounmpo, who turns 25 this week, is represented as an agent and business manager by Alex Saratsis, senior director of global operations-basketball at powerful sports agency Octagon. “He’s in very rarified air. He’s the only foreign-born Nike signature athlete,” he said. “When a company like Nike is willing to invest that kind of time and money into an athlete, it shows other brands that he stands for all the right things, that he can move product and raise awareness.”

The Zoom Freak 2 should drop in the …

The Zoom Freak 2 should drop in the second half of 2020. That may coincide with Antetokounmpo making off-court headlines again next summer when he becomes eligible to sign a what would be an NBA-record contract with the Bucks that would pay him $253.8 million over five years. It would keep him in Milwaukee through 2026. His current deal signed in 2016 is $100 million over four years. Antetokounmpo’s performance has translated into growing financial success: Forbes’ list of top-paid NBA players ranked Antetokounmpo seventh (tied with Detroit’s Blake Griffin) at $35.5 million last season, which includes $22.5 million in salary and $13 million from endorsements.

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.

Report: ‘Sneaker King’ P.J. Tucker nears new Nike endorsement deal

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is close to signing a new endorsement deal with Nike, CNBC’s Jabari Young reports.

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Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is close to signing a new endorsement deal with Nike, CNBC‘s Jabari Young reports.

The 34-year-old has been with Nike throughout his extended NBA career, but his prior deal expired Oct. 1.

Young reports:

Tucker also received interest from Puma, Adidas and New Balance, his agent Andre Buck of Arete Sports Agency confirmed in an interview. The 34-year-old player is expected to command a multiyear, six-figure sneaker deal that would be the largest endorsement deal of his career.

“He’s been happy with the level of interest from the various brands,” Buck added when contacted by CNBC. “So much of the sneaker culture, even beyond basketball, is a part of his life.”

In 14 games to begin the new 2019-20 NBA season, Tucker is averaging 9.9 points (53.2% shooting, 47.5% on three-pointers) and 6.6 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. He’s seen by many as Houston’s most valuable and versatile defensive player.

However, he’s probably best known to the masses for his fashion sense, both on and off the court. As far as basketball shoes, Young estimates that Tucker — often referred to as the NBA’s “Sneaker King” — has more than 5,000 pairs in his collection.

What makes Tucker’s endorsement deal unique is the diversity of his collection and the extensive online following that it has generated for him. Based on that, Nike has allowed Tucker access to their complete vault of sneakers — as opposed to one specific shoe or line, as is the case with most players. From Young’s story:

“They’re selling products, so they want you to wear certain things,” Tucker told CNBC in an interview last month. “But for me, they let me wear anything I want. Everybody can’t do that, especially if you’re under contract.

“With that blessing,” Tucker said he can wear a variety of lines, including the Kobe Bryant 4 model, his all-time favorite game-sneakers.

Young says the deal should be a multi-year pact worth “six figures,” which would be the largest endorsement deal of Tucker’s career.

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