Adidas announced a long-term partnership with National Basketball Association (NBA) star Ricky Rubio.
According to an official press release, the Minnesota Timberwolves point guard has signed a multi-year deal with the brand and will be featured in a variety of upcoming Adidas marketing initiatives and will play a role in the development of basketball footwear and apparel
“Ricky Rubio is a once-in-a-generation player,” said Lawrence Norman, Adidas vice president of global basketball. “His work ethic and selflessness combined with his superior athleticism and playmaking have quickly made him one of the most exciting young players in the game. When you watch Ricky on the court and talk to him after practice, you understand his pure enjoyment of playing basketball and that makes him a perfect fit for our brand.”
Rubio joins Adidas’s roster including Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antionio Spurs’ Tim Duncan.
“Growing up in Spain I always loved the Adidas brand and their products,” said Rubio. “The last few years they’ve really changed the game with new technology and style in basketball shoes and apparel and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Rubio helped the Spanish national team achieve a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the youngest ever player in an Olympic basketball final, and was crowned International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Europe Young Player of the Year three times before signing for Minnesota in the 2009 NBA draft.
