Coming off of a career year as the NBA’s leader and assists and being named to his first All-NBA Team, Tyrese Haliburton has reportedly locked down a new endorsement deal with Puma.
The Indiana Pacers star guard signed a “massive multi-year” contract with the German brand, according to Boardroom reporter Nick DePaula. Haliburton had previously worn Nike sneakers for his entire NBA career, largely favoring shoes from the Kobe line.
Puma did not respond to a request for confirmation or comment when reached by Footwear News.
The news of Haliburton joining Puma comes months after Salehe Bembury‘s work on the brand’s basketball line was announced. Bembury was confirmed to be designing the next signature shoe for Puma Basketball and to be involved with recruiting athletes.
Over the weekend, Bembury posted teaser images for a campaign shoot with Puma — and the timing suggests the signature sneaker he designed belongs to Haliburton.
While the Pacers have yet to begin their preseason schedule yet, they did play a team scrimmage in front of fans Sunday. During the contest, Haliburton wore the Puma All-Pro Nitro, and in his Media Day photos he opted for square-toed Prada dress shoes.
Haliburton will join a Puma roster that includes LaMelo Ball, as well as WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart and second-year NBA player Scoot Henderson — all of whom have their own signature sneakers. As difficult as it’ll be to surpass the popularity of Ball’s sneakers, particularly among the youth, Haliburton will now be the most accomplished of NBA players representing Puma.
Coming off his second-consecutive NBA All-Star appearance, Haliburton was also named to the All-NBA Third Team. Over the summer, he played for the gold medal-winning Team USA men’s basketball squad at the Olympics.
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
