Raptors F Vince Carter's "shoe showdown with Puma is
going to arbitration next week," according to Bill Harris of
the TORONTO SUN, who reported an "arbitrator has been
assigned to decide whether" Carter and his family were
"justified when they announced" last November that "they
were terminating their shoe and endorsement" deal with Puma.
The hearings are scheduled to begin April 25 in Boston, and
"proceedings could last anywhere from a couple of hours to
more than a week." Over the "past few months, Carter's
choice of footwear has gone back and forth between" AND 1,
adidas and Nike, but in "recent weeks, he most often has
opted" for AND 1 products (TORONTO SUN, 4/16).
STICKING WITH NUMBER NINE: Also in Toronto, Harris &
Daniels reported that Carter, who is reportedly unhappy with
being assigned the No. 9 jersey for the Sydney Olympics this
summer because of comparisons to Michael Jordan, who wore
No. 9 in the '84 and '92 Games, "will be stuck with" the
jersey. Carter's mother, Michelle Carter-Robinson, said,
"They already have a lot of the merchandise printed up, so
it's kind of set in stone" (TORONTO SUN, 4/16).
