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Joel Embiid Signs Multi-Year Shoe Deal with Under Armour
October 10, 2018
Joel Embiid has agreed to a multi-year shoe deal with Under Armour. The 76ers superstar became a sneaker free agent on September 30 and finally made his new endorsement deal with Under Armour official on Wednesday in Philadelphia.
A combination of Embiid's talent on the court and social media presence, particularly on Twitter and Instagram, has made the All-Star center one of the NBA's most popular players.
Embiid said his reason behind signing with Under Armour as "bigger than basketball." The Cameroon native and newest member of the Under Armour family understands this moment as bigger than selling shoes; it's also about making a global impact.
Embiid explained in his first comments as an Under Armour athlete:
"Basketball has given me everything, but it has to be bigger than basketball. That was the first thing that I said to Under Armour, and they were behind it 100 percent. This isn’t about a shoe deal. I mean, listen ... I’m gonna make sure they design some shoes as pretty as I am. Don’t worry about that. We’re gonna take care of that. But this is bigger than that. I want to use this partnership to do something real. I want to do something that would make my brother proud."
Embiid isn't afraid of the stigma behind big men and selling shoes. He told ESPN, "A lot of people, you know, always have that notion [that] big men can't sell shoes. And when I look at myself ... I can dribble, I can pass the ball, I can shoot. I can bring it up. I can be a playmaker. I'm more than a big man. So as far as signature shoes, I'm excited to come and break that."
The 76ers center began wearing Under Armour this offseason, and Embiid was first seen wearing the HOVR Havoc during media day.
Embiid will begin the season wearing the Under Armour HOVR Havoc.