And 1, the basketball footwear brand, signed NBA players and twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris to a three-year endorsement contract.
The signings mark the first endorsement for And 1 since Brown Shoe Co. sold the men's basketball and lifestyle shoe brand to Galaxy International LLC for $55 million in cash. Brown had acquired And 1 in its purchase of American Sporting Goods, which also owned Avia, Ryka and Nevados.
“The Morris twins are great young talent and embody everything we love about the And 1 brand,” said Robert Purvy, And 1 brand president. “Markieff and Marcus bring it. With their hometown work ethic, hunger, and true passion for the Game, we’re proud to have them play a big part in the future of And 1.”
“We've been fans of And 1 as long as we can remember. We grew up on the MixTape, and to now be a part of the AND 1 family is really an honor,” said Marcus Morris.
“For two guys from Philly, there's really no other brand we'd want to represent. We're excited to work together and promote the Game we love,” said Markeiff Morris.
After a record-setting career at Kansas, Marcus and Markieff Morris were lottery picks in the 2011 NBA draft. Markieff was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick, and Marcus was selected by the Houston Rockets with the 14th pick. They are only the third set of twins selected in the round since the modern NBA draft began in 1966.
Born and raised in Philadelphia which is also the original home of And 1 they led their high school basketball team to back-to-back PIAA Class AA titles in 2006 and 2007. The 2006 title was the first time a Public League school won the state championship.
The Morris brothers are represented by Rival Sports Group, LLC, a premiere sports management company based in Beverly Hills, California. Rival Sports Group offers a full range of services to support the professional athlete's lifestyle, from contract negotiations to concierge services. Other NBA players represented by Rival Sports Group include Jrue Holiday and Tyler Honeycutt.
And 1's star endorser had been Monta Ellis, recently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, although the guard was recently seen wearing Nike shoes.