I cover the footwear industry and NBA, WNBA & NIL marketing. On Boardroom / ESPN / Nice Kicks / Sole Collector over the last 15 years. DePaulaNick
@gmail
.com
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BREAKING: Reebok has signed LSU star Angel Reese — the company’s 1st Basketball athlete of the next generation. 📄✍️
“For my 1st appointment in this role, it had to be the GOAT,” says Shaquille O’Neal, President of Reebok Basketball. “There is no one making a bigger impact on…
BREAKING:
@Gatorade
has signed Jackson State University QB Shedeur Sanders to a multi-year NIL partnership, making him the 1st HBCU athlete signing in company history.
The 1st shoe to release in the new Kobe & Nike partnership will honor his daughter Gianna, who would have turned 16 on May 1, 2022
“The Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet 16’ will honor Gigi Bryant. All proceeds from the shoe will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.”
Gilbert Arenas just posted a Kobe tribute on IG:
“I will fulfill the task u requested from me in this picture 🙏🏾💯
You told me to use my bright basketball mind on some form of coaching...🏀💯..stop wasting it being an idiot on social media. Today I'm starting my coaching career.”
At 6:36 AM today I received a text:
“Vanessa Bryant did not renew contract. Kobe and Nike are done.”
I’ve been working since to confirm what this means ahead for the Nike / Kobe Bryant partnership.
As of right now — there is no ongoing contract for future Kobe releases.
Derrick Rose officially launched his Adidas DRose 10 sneaker in China this week, becoming just the 8th player in NBA history to have a signature series with more than 10 consecutive models.
His shirt crosses out “DONE DONE DONE” and reads: “NOT DONE YET”
LeBron broke out the Zoom 20.5.5 for his return to Cleveland tonight — the shoe he wore during his very first Cavs Playoff game when he dropped a 32/11/11 triple double in 2006.
Last year, Enes Kanter asked LeBron, “What do you call yourself? King, queen, princess, whatever you are...”
Tonight at The Garden, LeBron’s sneakers have a simple reminder on the heel: “I’M KING.”
Klay Thompson is celebrating his new
@Warriors
Max deal with a special edition sneaker drop this weekend, highlighting his pre-game locker ritual of reading the newspaper.
The
@EastBayTimes
x Anta KT4s will drop at
@Oaklandish
’s downtown Oakland store this Sunday, July 7th.
Stephen Curry told Under Armour to ditch any All-Star Weekend party plans, and throw the brand’s entire budget into renovating his childhood Charlotte rec center.
Inside the “7-figure commitment” to remaking the Carole Hoefener Center:
Serena Williams will wear a figure skating-inspired Nike dress at the US Open that she designed — made of 6 layers to honor her 6 past titles at Flushing.
Her NikeCourt Flare 2 shoes include a diamond-encrusted Swoosh and solid gold lace deubrés with 400 hand-set diamonds.
D’Angelo Russell’s Nike shoe deal is set to expire this fall as well. Brands already have massive interest in the All-Star, but a move to LA would escalate his offers.
The Los Angeles Lakers reached out to D'Angelo Russell's agents at CAA -- Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz -- to set up a meeting with the All-Star guard, league sources tell ESPN. The Lakers and Russell share a mutual interest in a reunion. Lakers have the cap space to sign him.
BREAKING: Alex Caruso has agreed to a multi-year sneaker deal with ANTA.
The
#Lakers
guard is debuting with the brand tonight and wearing the KT Light 4.
Vanessa Bryant announces the launch of “Mambacita” clothing, releasing tomorrow on May 1st, what would’ve been Gigi’s 15th birthday.
100% of proceeds will go to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.
BREAKING: Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has agreed to a significant multi-year signature shoe deal with Li-Ning.
Butler will become the current face of the brand, which also has a lifetime deal with Heat icon
@DwyaneWade
.
Gatorade is honoring Serena Williams this week by transforming its G logo to a “S”⚡️
She’ll have a special edition sideline towel & bottle at the US Open this week:
BREAKING: Tennis star Coco Gauff has signed a multi-year endorsement extension with New Balance, to continue as a featured face of the brand.
The launch of her Coco CG1 this year makes her the only current female tennis player with a signature shoe.
Stephen Curry plans to raise money for the Cleveland Metro School District through his
#NBAAllStar
stats:
• $1,000 for every point
• $3,000 for every 3-pointer
• $10,000 if he wins ASG MVP
Curry Brand is also providing
@PositiveCoachUS
training to every CMSD hoop coach.
Nike gifted
#Serena
with four AF1s designed after her past outfits — including her “favorite outfit I’ve ever worn,” the Flo-Jo inspired catsuit from last year.
Jayson Tatum’s newest Air Jordan 36 PE celebrates one of his son Deuce’s favorite books — “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” — which they read together over FaceTime when Tatum was in the NBA Bubble.
Kelsey Plum is hosting her DAWG CLASS with Under Armour again this year — inviting top college women’s players to IMG for a 3-day Skills Camp and providing them with resources for the transition to the WNBA.
The first 2 invites are:
• MiLaysia Fulwiley
• Raven Johnson
Here’s the NBA’s top selling Player & Team jerseys by state at
@Lids
this season:
•
@KingJames
&
@Lakers
are
#1
in 30 states
•
@Bulls
are best sellers in 8 states
• Retired players are top sellers in 14 states
• Mike Bibby has the best-selling player jersey in Alabama
BREAKING: Kyrie Irving has officially signed a long-term shoe deal with ANTA. 📄✍️
The “business collaboration” will name
@KyrieIrving
as Chief Creative Officer of Anta Basketball, include signature product releases & launch ANTA x KYRIE Youth basketball camps around the world.
OFFICIAL: LSU star
@Flaujae
Johnson has landed a NIL deal with The Athlete’s Foot — making her the retailer’s 2024 Brand Ambassador. 📄✍️
Flau’jae will help launch the new Athlete’s Foot store opening in Baton Rouge on 4/19.
BREAKING: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has signed a footwear & apparel endorsement deal with Jordan Brand.
“Being able to say that I'm part of the Brand makes me sit back and really cherish everything.” —
@Bam1of1
OFFICIAL: Kyrie Irving’s 1st signature shoe with ANTA — the KAI 1 — will release on March 6th in Dallas at Sneaker Politics and globally on for $125.
Shoe features graphics & details throughout inspired by Irving’s Native American ancestry.