FOXSPORTS.com's Jonathan Bradley noted UFC fighter Sage Northcutt signed an individual sponsorship deal with Reebok. Northcutt yesterday "made the announcement on his social media accounts," and Reebok, the exclusive outfitter of the UFC, "confirmed the deal." Northcutt joins fellow UFC fighters Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, Chris Weidman and Anthony Pettis "as a few of the only fighters on the roster also signed to individual deals" (FOXSPORTS.com, 6/29).
LESSON LEARNED: In N.Y., Justin Terranova reported even with 76ers F Ben Simmons' agency, Klutch Sports, having "tight ties to Nike," the brand was "unwilling to take the slightest risk that Simmons would walk to another competitor" the way Warriors G Stephen Curry did three years ago. It is "believed the fallout from the Curry snafu -- the details of which were not fully revealed until this year -- was the reason Nike forcefully encouraged" VP & GM/Global Basketball Michael Jackson "to step down recently" (NYPOST.com, 6/29).
SPIKES UP: In K.C., Andrew Vaupel noted Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure appears in a new ad alongside former USMNT player Landon Donovan and former Verizon pitchman Paul Marcarelli. Claure "asks them to compare two soccer cleats to determine which one is 1 percent lighter and twice as expensive." Claure "hasn't been all-together absent from Sprint's marketing," but compared with Dan Hesse, who "was a fixture in Sprint's advertising during his tenure as CEO, Claure hasn't been in front of the camera much" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/28).
