Heat Generator: Michael Beasley Signs Shoe Deal With Adidas

Beasley Inks Endorsement Deal With adidas

FOCUSING ON BASKETBALL: Beasley said that he "did not plan to hire an agent" today, the first day he can do so after firing Bell. Beasley: "I feel as though right now an agent is not really my first priority. I'm looking forward to starting training camp and I just want to play basketball. Everything off the court I don't want to worry about right now." In Miami, Sarah Rothschild writes Beasley "has had a tumultuous month," with an incident at the league's Rookie Transition Program in addition to the Bell situation. Beasley was fined $50,000 for not cooperating with NBA officials regarding the incident, which also included Heat G Mario Chalmers and Grizzlies F Darrell Arthur. Beasley yesterday spoke about the incident for the first time and said, "My immaturity played a factor. I'm 19. I tried to be a kid and get away with it." Chalmers added, "It was just a mistake, being at the wrong place at the wrong time -- something we look back (on) and we regret to the fullest. We took our punishments, and now we're ready to move on and put the situation behind us" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/25).

TREND SETTER: YAHOO SPORTS' Adrian Wojnarowski reported G Brandon Jennings's four-year shoe and apparel deal with Under Armour "will pay him comparably to the top three picks in the 2008 NBA draft." Sources said that Jennings, who opted to skip college this season to play professionally in Italy, "is making over $1[M] a year" between his salary and shoe deal. Former Nike, Reebok and adidas basketball marketing exec Sonny Vaccaro, who is advising Jennings, said, "This is almost like what Michael [Jordan] did, because he could've gone to adidas, which was still part of Converse. Nike was practically nothing. I told Brandon and his mother, 'If you hit with Under Armour, you're the man there'" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/24).

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