Terry Rozier has a shoe deal.
He announced a deal with Puma today in, perhaps, the most amazing “I just got a shoe deal” interview of all time.
Me signing with Puma is basically letting you know, I’m taking over the Puma world. You got guys taking over Adidas, you got guys taking over Nike, whatever. I’m competing with the Puma world and I’m taking over that s–t. From the jump. That’s my whole thing. I feel like I’m going to turn it up because—I ain’t gonna knock nobody on Puma, but I feel like I’m very marketable, I’m the guy that they needed to sign.
That’s just the beginning of it. Follow the link for the rest. It’s classic Rozier.
WELCOME @T_Rozzay3 💪 It’s official #pumafam
vid by @CoreyPorter0 pic.twitter.com/OF1lPSFILZ
— PUMA Basketball (@PUMAHoops) July 26, 2018
Meanwhile, Puma has burst onto the NBA scene by signing top overall pick DeAndre Ayton, NBA vet Rudy Gay, and others. Terry Rozier is the latest in a monster push that’s drawing some serious attention to the shoe company.
The biggest question is… will they be any good?
And 1 took a big bite out of the basketball shoe market once upon a time when it made a big splash by embracing a growing street ball movement. Their Tai Chi was once one of the hottest shoes on the market, and their apparel campaign was everywhere in the mid-90’s.
They had big names (Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter, among many others) and they grew to second in the marketplace (behind Nike)… but they couldn’t hold on. By 2005, the company was up for sale.
Puma is making a similar push. Their endorsers aren’t the biggest names… yet… but their rookie class can make a big splash. Puma is obviously an established global company where And 1 was an upstart, but their entry into the market is similar.
Puma is, at the same time, making a big move as a lifestyle brand with recent campaigns centered around Kylie Jenner and Rae Sremmurd. They’re clearly targeting younger shoppers with a simple, yet generally fresh look and lower overall price point.
We’ll see if Rozier can help them dive into basketball with fresh current looks that appeal to the casual consumer while staying true to their brand. At the very least, I can’t wait to see the marketing campaign. If they put Rozier and Clyde Frazier (a lifetime Puma endorser) in a commercial together, it might break the internet.
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