New Balance, in another major step in its return to basketball, has reportedly signed Kawhi Leonard, the star forward for the Toronto Raptors, to an endorsement deal.
“Leonard, 27, will serve as the face of New Balance basketball, with the company looking to re-establish itself in the basketball market,” according to Yahoo Sports, which first reported on the deal.
“It’s not official,” Leonard said at Wednesday morning’s media availability. “Me and New Balance haven’t announced anything.”
The deal comes after the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Years’s contract with Nike’s Jordan brand expired on October 31 after stalled contract talks. Leonard has been wearing Air Jordan 32 Low model this year.
In his first year with the Raptors after starring for the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard is being mentioned about among the MVP favorites. He is averaging 24.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals and the Raptors have the NBA’s best record at 18-4.
ESPN reported that New Balance had offered “very competitive” cash offers to other sneaker free agents, including Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Gordon Hayward, that included tours of its new Boston campus before they signed with other teams. New Balance’s limited footwear range for the 2018-19 season concerned some players. Embiid signed with Under Armour, Oubre with Converse and Hayward with Anta.
The Jordan Brand isn’t expected to exercise its rights to match the offer. The per-year figure from New Balance would rank among the top-15 shoe deals in the NBA, according to ESPN.
In October, New Balance signed high school basketball standout and former Syracuse recruit Darius Bazley to an endorsement deal to mark its plan to return to basketball. The 6-foot-9 forward is working as an intern at company’s marketing, digital, footwear and apparel departments from January to March while taking a year to train and prepare for the 2019 NBA Draft.
New Balance is known for not endorsing star athletes but has signed a number of MLB players in recent years. In basketball, New Balance is best known for its endorsement of James Worthy in the ’80s with the deal including the development of a signature shoe. The brand also sponsored Matt Bonner in the early 2000s.
