Wizards G John Wall is “a free agent in the high-stakes sneaker industry for the first time in his career” after his deal with adidas expired Sept. 30, according to Jorge Castillo of the WASHINGTON POST. Wall signed a five-year, $25M deal with Reebok before the Wizards drafted him first overall in ‘10 “but the partnership was terminated in the third year when injuries hampered his early career.” He then joined adidas, which “owns Reebok, for the remainder of the contract.” The company last year “gave Wall his own signature sneaker line, with his own logo.” Wall “will wear his signature sneaker in games but has been wearing other brands, including Nike, at practice.” He said, “My main focus is just play basketball. I let my agents and marketing team and them negotiate and talk" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/21). COMPLEX.com’s Rajah Allarey wrote considering Wall is “one of the NBA’s most electrifying young players" playing on a Wizards team that has made the second round of the playoffs the last two seasons, the “assumption can be made that Adidas surely wants to keep him in the fold.” If Wall “does ends up walking, it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up” (COMPLEX.com, 11/22).
FLEET OF FOOT: The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Sara Germano wrote newer NBA stars such as Warriors G Stephen Curry and Cavaliers G Kyrie Irving are “heating up the footwear market, with nimble, athletic styles of play exciting new audiences and signature shoes at more affordable price points.” On a call with analysts Friday, retailer Foot Locker “name-checked” Curry and Irving as “players who are resonating with customers more readily these days.” Foot Locker CEO Dick Johnson said feedback from customers suggests “that we need a little bit more innovation, a little bit better price value relationship” on their products from legacy NBA stars such as Cavaliers F LeBron James and Thunder F Kevin Durant. Germano noted price points for Irving’s Nike-made signature shoe on FootLocker.com “hovered around $110,” while the Under Armour Curry 2 is “selling for about $130.” Prices for “recent signature models” of shoes for Durant and James are “closer to $200 on Foot Locker’s website” (WSJ.com, 11/20).
