Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray has signed a multi-year shoe deal with New Balance, joining Kawhi Leonard as two of the most noteworthy players to sport the brand.
"I just wanted to do something different," Murray said according to Max Resetar of Slam. "I've always been a pioneer in that kind of sense. Staying in Canada, sliding in the draft to Denver, coming off the bench and then starting, being into kung fu and all that kind of stuff, and now in signing with New Balance. I feel like we're both similar in that way. We both have creative ideas. We want to see them come to life."
The announcement of the deal comes ten months after New Balance and the NBA revealed a new partnership agreement. Vice President of Global Marketing at New Balance Chris Davis spoke about the deal in February:
New Balance officially re-entered basketball when NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard walked on court for the NBA All-Star Game in 2019. Now, one year later, we are excited to further solidify our position in the global basketball community by collaborating with the NBA as an official long term, strategic partner in order to continue to enhance our position as a leading athletic brand. This relationship ingrains New Balance into the NBA’s global presence, a fandom and culture that transcends sport and is significantly larger than the game of basketball.
Murray is one of the league's most exciting young stars. During the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Murray averaged an impressive 26.5 points and 6.6 assists. He was also named Sports Illustrated's "Breakout of The Year," earlier this month.
[Via]
