Kawhi Leonard just recently signed a massive sneaker deal with a brand you were not expecting. New Balance. He signed a multi-year endorsement deal with them, which comes as a shock due to his ongoing deal with Jordan since the start of his NBA career. However, after disagreements surrounding the $5 million contract negotiation and no offering of a signature shoe alongside his peers Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade, he decided to jump ship.
With the deal, Kawhi will become the face of New Balance’s Basketball brand as they hope to jump-start the company’s relevance within the sport and its market. Terms of the deal are still unknown, but ESPN reports that he was offered “significantly more than $5 millions per year”. A signature shoe has not yet been confirmed.
New Balance’s history doesn’t measure to its competitors like Adidas or Nike, their biggest highlight being the launch of James Worthy signature shoe in the 80s, and Micheal Jordan wearing New Balance’s during his LIFE Magazine photoshoot in 1985, which ave birth to the original “jumpman” photo.
With the NBA loosening color restrictions for on-court sneakers, its no surprise that New Balance would try to capitalise, signing a potential MVP candidate for the 2018-19 season.
Let us know what you think about the Kawhi Leonard and New Balance deal in the comments below.
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