Puma is showing that it mean business for its return to the performance basketball footwear market.
The brand announced its revamped Puma Hoops line on Monday in three major ways. First, it signed basketball legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier to a lifetime deal in honor of his iconic signature shoe and many years as a brand ambassador. Next, it signed two of this year’s top prospects in the NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III. Then to top it all off, none other than Jay-Z was announced as the creative director of the new basketball division.
As if having the two young stars projected to be the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in many mock drafts wasn’t enough, on Tuesday, Puma Hoops announced that it also signed Michael Porter Jr., a third top prospect projected to go within the first 10 picks later this evening.
Despite being viewed as a risky pick due to his recent back injury, Porter is still highly regarded and remains a top prospect after the 6-foot-11 forward’s freshman season at Missouri. With three of the top incoming NBA rookies on its roster, Puma has made one of the most aggressive returns to a specific sport that the footwear industry has seen. In addition to the rookies, Puma also signed NBA veteran Rudy Gay to a shoe deal.
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On Tuesday, Puma also unveiled its first performance basketball shoe, the Clyde Court Disrupt. The model is an updated take on the classic Clyde sneaker, featuring an engineered knit upper. The shoe is scheduled to release on Oct. 1.
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Puma Adds Top Prospect Michael Porter Jr. to Revamped Basketball Division
Puma Nabs Basketball’s Projected No.1 Draft Pick Deandre Ayton With Multimillion-Dollar Deal
Jay-Z Is Named President of Puma’s Basketball Operations
