After waiting for a couple of months before making his decision, New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett opted to sign an endorsement deal with Puma.
For more than a year, Barrett was the top target for the Puma brand, with executives strongly hoping that RJ will become the best player from his draft class. The fact that he landed in New York, which is a quite broad marketplace, also helped Barrett to get a deal.
“We’ve had our eyes on him for a long time, going back to before last year,” said Puma’s global director of brand and marketing, Adam Petrick. “New York is a very special city for us,” Petrick continued. “Our legacy goes back to Clyde and 1973, being the first brand to sign a signature basketball deal. We see New York as the homeland of Puma basketball.”
RJ Barrett in his new Pumas in front of a billboard near MSG: pic.twitter.com/jvh3La9R3B
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 28, 2019
Puma signed five of the top-15 NBA draft picks last year a few days before the 2018 draft. However, this time around, Barrett wanted to take a couple of months to consider all of his options, and eventually, he selected Puma.
“I waited for a long time, and I really just wanted to weigh my options,” Barrett said. “I really looked at Nike and Adidas hard, but at the end of the day, it came down to Puma and I’m very happy and excited to be a part of the Puma family.”
Puma, on the other hand, was the first company to present their endorsement deal and future plans to Barrett. His agent, Bill Duffy, knows that this is an excellent endorsement deal for the young player and that he didn’t make a mistake.
“RJ’s excited for the opportunity to have a prominent profile with a major brand,” Duffy said. “It’s very unique. Of all the top brands, it’s hard for a young guy to craft a lot of visibility early in their career. Puma has committed to him at that level, and it’s very exciting.”
While Nike, Jordan, and Adidas are covering more than 85% of the NBA players, the chance to be among only 15 Puma endorsers would afford Barrett with more attention and personalized marketing.
