Jaylen Brown in search of ‘brand of the future’ after splitting from adidas

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Celtics

“I’m looking for a progressive, technologically advanced, open-minded shoe company.”

Jaylen Brown, pictured here in a pair of Nike, is a sneaker free agent this year. Jim Davis / Globe staff

Jaylen brown signed an agreement with adidas shortly before the Celtics made him the No.3 pick in the 2016 draft – a move the sneaker company reportedly made with an eye on the breakup in basketball.

At the time, adidas was on the verge of losing its exclusive deal with the NBA and recruited as many players as possible in the 2016 Draft (although it lost two of the biggest names: No.1 pick Ben Simmons and NCAA Player of the Year Buddy Hield).

Apparently, adidas paid Brown over a million dollars a year for the duration of his contract.

Five years (and the first of many All-Star appearances) later, Brown is no longer affiliated with adidas. He has, at various times this season, been spotted at Nike, New Balance and Under Armor as he searches for his next sneaker partner.

Still, don’t read too much into his sneaker choices at this point: Brown says he’s leaving his decisions to Celtics’ equipment manager Andy Mannix.

Sometimes I let Andy choose, ”Brown told reporters Wednesday. “I look at Andy like, ‘What are we going to do today? “…

“If I pick shoes and play poorly, you all blame Andy.”

Still, Brown – who is a very brand-conscious player – is thinking a lot about his decision.

“I’m at the point in my career where I’ve been able to establish brands, so I want the companies I go with to kind of match some of my brand values,” Brown said. “Some brands have an expectation where” we’ve been that brand, we’re not doing anything different. ”

“But it’s a new era. It’s 2021, about to be 2022 in two months, I think the current athlete, the athlete model, has changed a lot.

Brown did some securities with one pair of adidas shoes in particular – a pair of shiny Damian Lillard signature shoes – but it never seemed to be a high priority for the brand, which gave James Harden a signature shoe as well as Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young in later years.

But Brown said he’s looking for more than just a signature shoe.

“I’m looking for a progressive, state-of-the-art shoe company that keeps an open mind, is also community oriented, as well as products that are environmentally friendly, sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable,” said Brown said. “I’m looking for the mark of the future, not the mark of the past.”

Sneaker deals are big in the NBA – the best players often earn more with their favorite brand than with their employer. LeBron James’ lifetime deal with Nike would have will net him over $ 30 million a year and could be worth over $ 1 billion in total.

Players usually sign one of three types of sneaker company agreements: a commodity agreement, a cash agreement, or a signing agreement. Merchandise offers earn a player free shoes for themselves and their friends / family, and sometimes offer performance-based bonuses. Cash transactions do the same thing, but they also pay a player regular money (like Brown’s annual $ 1 million check from adidas).

But the real money (and control) comes from a signature deal, where the player can have a say in the design and construction of their shoe. Brown recently launched his 7uice clothing line and is clearly committed and interested in fashion. If he’s focused on partnering with a groundbreaking brand – and if he comes up with a list of environmental and community requirements – he might want to take a look at brands that are willing to offer him a signing deal.

Brown hinted at it.

“I think we’ve had the same pattern of approach over the past 20 years in terms of operating with a shoe brand,” Brown said. “I think the approach may change in the future. Athletes have changed the way they influence. The way to reach the world has changed.

“I think having a brand partner should match that. I think the shoe business is definitely here. Or, if not, it could be created or started from scratch.


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