Puma signed a multi-year footwear and apparel deal with Grammy-winning artist J. Cole.
“Our partnership with Cole is deep-rooted,” said Adam Petrick, Puma’s global director of brand and marketing, in a statement. “Cole’s involved in product creation, marketing campaigns and cultural guidance. He is going to be a key player in many of the things we do at Puma moving forward, and we’re excited to work with him not only on a product level but even more importantly as one of our athletes. Cole sits at the intersection of music and sport and represents everything that Puma stands for as a brand.”
The rapper will be one of the faces of Puma Basketball despite not being an NBA athlete. Cole was a walk-on player for the Division I men’s basketball program at St. John’s University in New York City.
Puma’s NBA basketball ambassador line-up includes RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Terry Rozier, Marvin Bagley, DeAndre Ayton, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rudy Gay. Puma’s ambassadors also include fellow musicians Yo Gotti and Meek Mill, as well as other celebrities such as Cara Delevingne and Adriana Lima.
A commercial featuring Cole for the new line will be shown during the NBA All-Star game on Sunday on TNT.
