MADISON, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 11: RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait during the 2019 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 11, 2019 at the Ferguson Recreation Center in Madison, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
RJ Barrett signs multi-year sneaker deal with Puma
One of the standouts of the NBA Draft not named Zion Williamson – RJ Barrett – has just signed his first multi-year sneaker deal with Puma.
It is obvious that Zion Williamson has been the name everyone expects to breakout as a major player in the National Basketball Association following the NBA Draft, and with good reason. The young man was the number one overall pick in the Draft and signed the largest sneaker deal in the history of the Jordan Brand. All eyes are on him, but let’s not be so quick to overlook his former Duke Blue Devils running mate RJ Barrett, someone who may have just as much (if not more) potential on the court than Zion.
As the number three overall pick in the NBA Draft, signed to the New York Knicks, Barrett has just as much of an opportunity to set the basketball world on fire as Zion does. Now, the 19-year old shooting guard from Toronto is ready to set the sneaker culture on fire with a shoe deal of his own. Puma have now confirmed that they have signed Mr. Barrett to a multi-year sneaker deal.
In a report released by Sole Collector, Puma had the following to say on signing RJ Barrett:
“We are thrilled to have RJ join the Puma family as we enter our second season of Puma Hoops. He’s obviously an incredible talent and we’re proud that he’s bringing his bold personality to our brand. We’re especially pleased to have a young, game changing athlete in New York—the home of Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, and Puma Hoops. We look forward to a strong partnership with him and a fantastic rookie season ahead.”
This is a huge win for everyone involved. Speculation has continued to circulate as to which sneaker brand that Barrett could be signing with. The hype behind the announcement was almost as large as the hype for Zion’s sneaker deal decision. Puma is a solid place to go. It may not be the big swoop brand or the big stripes brand, but Puma is still a formidable opponent in the sneaker industry not to be scoffed at, much like Barrett himself as an emerging NBA breakout.
Much like Barrett himself, Puma is not a brand to overlook.
