Michael Porter Jr. signs with Puma, joining Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III
With the basketball world already buzzing over Puma’s projected NBA lottery pick pounce, Michael Porter Jr. joined in on the fun.
The 6-foot-11 forward signed a multi-year shoe deal with the brand ahead of Thursday’s NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Nick DePaula. The news surfaced Wednesday.
Another look — the new Puma Clyde Court.
Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Michael Porter Jr & Zhaire Smith are on board.
Ayton has been playing in them since last month, and told me:
“I’m excited to get a feel for them. When I first tried them, they were simple and smooth.“ pic.twitter.com/F4B4lNmCaV— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) June 20, 2018
Puma re-entered the basketball landscape this year after a 20 year absence. Not only has its brand relaunch consisted of a lifetime deal with former endorsee Walt “Clyde” Frazier, but it also signed projected NBA first-rounders Marvin Bagley III, Deandre Ayton and Zhaire Smith.
Not to mention, Puma also announced Jay-Z as its creative director.
Porter, who Yahoo Sports projects at No. 7 to the Chicago Bulls, played a mere 53 minutes last year at Missouri. The 19-year-old underwent microdiscectomy surgery, which forced him to sit for three months.
Michael Porter Jr has signed a multi-year shoe deal with PUMA. The brand is making one of the most aggressive pushes the industry has seen.
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) June 20, 2018
Like Bagley, who played grassroots basketball with Nike on the AAU circuit as well as in college at Duke University, Porter played with Nike in AAU and at Missouri.
Porter is one of the biggest question marks ahead of Thursday night’s draft. Even last week, Yahoo Sports reported Porter had spasms in his hip, forcing him to cancel a scheduled workout that was ultimately re-scheduled.
Ultimately, time will tell whether or not Rivals.com’s No. 1 player in the 2017 class will live up to the hype.
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