Kawhi Leonards Upcoming New Balance Kawhi New Money Shoe Arrives In July
During Saturdays Los Angeles Clippers game against the Utah Jazz, Kawhi Leonard not only delivered on the court, but he also debuted the new colorway of his signature New Balance basketball shoes.
To get the win, the Clippers shooting guard played in the New Money colorway of his Kawhi 1 signature shoe, and the silhouette is launching next month.
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The New Money colorway is a continuation of a series that started with the OMN1S called Money Stacks, which was inspired by a bankroll and rubber band. Keeping with the theme, the New Money colorway features light blue and copper accents, taking inspiration from the $100 bill.
A post shared by New Balance Basketball
The design represents the grind he has put in to become the global superstar he is today, the sportswear company revealed in a press release. The sneaker will launch on July 1 in select markets globally.
The New Balance Kawhi Moreno Valley sports a blue-based upper thats contrasted by yellow and green quarter panels, a color scheme inspired by the look of the Moreno Valley seal, which is stamped on the tongue
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Sneaker media veteran Jeffrey Dobbs wasted no time stating on Twitter that New Balance can have his money following Leonards incredible shot.
Moments make me want shoes, not hype. Those Kawhis will be purchased, he wrote on the social media platform.
Moments make me want shoes, not hype. Those Kawhis will be purchased.
Jeffrey May 13, 2019
And B. Riley FBR analyst Jeff Van Sinderen believes Dobbs isnt alone at least when it comes to basketball product.
Dont think theres going to be an issue selling Kawhi signature shoes anytime soon, Van Sinderen said. The NB brand association to Kawhi enhances relevance in their b-ball shoes, but whether a broader halo effect develops on other classifications of NB shoes remains to be seen.
However, The NPD Group Inc.s senior sports industry analyst Matt Powell has reservations.
I have never seen a performance on the court move the needle whether the athlete has a good game or a bad game. I have never seen it affect the trajectory of sales, Powell said. For instance, LeBron remains the top selling marquee athlete and his teams not even in the playoffs.
And Powells skepticism doesnt seem unwarranted.
According to data provided by The NPD Group Inc., basketball sneaker sales have been on a steady decline for years. The firm stated sales dropped 12% and 7% in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and as of March are down 21% for the year.
And Van Sinderen is confident the association with Leonard will pay off.
The Consensus: This New Shoe Deal Is A Perfect Fit For Kawhi
The San Antonio Spurs aren’t the only team Kawhi Leonard left in 2018.
After landing with the Toronto Raptors via trade in July, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year found a new home in the apparel industry this week, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes, striking a multi-year endorsement deal with New Balance.
Set to be the face of New Balance Basketball as part of the partnership, Leonard turned down an extension with Nike’s Jordan Brand in order to “become a sneaker free agent” earlier in the year, per Haynes. And now, 16 games into his post-San Antonio NBA career, the two-time All-Star has embraced a shoe brand that’s often viewed as a step or three below basketball staples like Nike and Adidas.
Because the move is unorthodox and because it’s Kawhi Leonard joining New Balance , Twitter absolutely could not contain itself after the news broke:
Perfect brand for him considering hes the most boring person on Earth
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Kawhi Leonard Shoe Deal: Contract Signature Shoe And More
Kawhi Leonard was not always the superstar he has become in recent years. Back in 2011, the Indiana Pacers drafted him using the 15th overall pick. However, the Spurs saw potential in him and traded for him on draft night. It was this one decision that changed the trajectory of Kawhis career, as the Spurs nurtured him into a star. Although Kawhi left the unit on bad terms, if it werent for them, he might not have achieved the superstar status.
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Now, being extremely popular comes with its own perks in the NBA. Along with lucrative contracts, it enables the athletes to gain multi-million dollar shoe deals as well. Today, we will talk about what shoe deal does the 4-time All-star has and how he became part of the company.
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Kawhi Leonard New Balance Shoe Deal
Im surprised Kawhi didnt sign a shoe deal with Kirkland
Joey Langone
In November of 2018, Kawhi Leonard officially inked his surprise deal with New Balance, effectively becoming the face of the companys basketball division. Leonard initially signed with Jordan when he was drafted out of college but was unable to come to a mutual agreement during the renegotiation process.
While Leonard was offered a hefty pay increase by Jordan, he didnt feel the amount was indicative of his standing in the league. Reportedly more in the range of players like Blake Griffin and less in the range of fellow MVP candidates James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. While all three players are much more marketable compared to Kawhi, he was unable to find a middle ground with Jordan, leading to a fallout with his original shoe company.
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How Kawhi Leonards New Balance Shoe Deal Started With Jordan Brand
Kawhi Leonard is no longer a sneaker free agent, but the endorsement deal he signed might not be from the shoe giant you expected. Leonard signed a multi-year shoe deal not with Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour, but to become the new face of New Balances basketball brand. Its a giant step off the court for Leonard, even if its a step in a direction few saw coming.
Thats because the Raptors all-star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and former NBA Finals MVP had an endorsement partnership with Jordan Brand that looked secure for the remainder of his career. That wasnt the case, though, and Leonard became a sneaker free agent this summer. Now, hell be championing New Balance, as it ventures back into the basketball scene.
What It Means For Kawhi
This is what Kawhi wanted. Last March, the former Finals MVP reportedly turned down a four-year, $22-million deal from Jordan Brandhis shoe sponsor since 2013in search of an opportunity to grow his profile and become the face of a brand. When New Balance swooped in to sign him in November, it seemed like an ideal match of unconventional company and unconventional superstar. Now, though, its time for Kawhi to step up and fill his role as a brand ambassador.
The non-verbal schtick in the commercial above is clever, but its not going to work forever. When youve got your name on the shoe, you need to do more than just play well to move producteven if youre a perennial MVP candidate and former Defensive Player of the Year. Kids watched Jordan act a fool with Spike Lee and bring the smackdown to the Monstars. Theyve seen LeBron pal around with Drake, and laughed at Kyrie in old man makeup. All that most NBA fans know about Kawhi is that hes quiet, hates the limelight, and has an awkward laugh. That kind of anti-personality might sell emo folk albums, but it wont help much with a basketball sneaker.
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How Much Is Kawhi Leonard New Balance Deal Worth
When New Balance signed the 5x All-Star back in 2018, it was clear that he would be the face of the company. According to Forbes, the Los Angeles Clippers star earns around $5.5 million from his endorsement deal. Apart from this, Leonard recently signed a 4-year $176.3 million extension with the LA Clippers too.
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Leonard is one of the most complete players in the league, and his earnings are definitely on par with his superstar status. Next season, he will be looking forward to shrugging off an injury-struck 2021 playoff run.
Kawhi Leonard’s Talks With Jordan Brand About New Shoe Deal Have Stalled Sources Say
- Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com
- Played college football at West Texas A& M
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard will likely be pondering a supermax contract extension over the summer, but off the court, talks between he and Jordan Brand on a new shoe deal have stalled, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.
Jordan Brand, which is a division of Nike, and Leonard’s representatives came “very close” to completion on a new four-year extension worth more than $20 million. But discussions broke down abruptly because representatives for Leonard didn’t feel that the new deal reflected the forward’s accomplishments and standing within the league, sources said.
Leonard has finished second and third in voting for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award over the last two seasons, but he’s played in just a handful of games this season because of injury.
A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time All-NBA first team selection and Finals MVP, Leonard earns less than $500,000 per year in his current endorsement contract with Jordan Brand, which is worth significantly less than the deal currently on the table from the shoe company.
There are no current talks between Jordan Brand and Leonard’s representatives, sources said.
Cleveland’s LeBron James plays under the most lucrative shoe contract of any current athlete, earning more than $20 million per year from Nike on his “lifetime” endorsement deal.
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Reports: Kawhi Leonard Signs Shoe Deal With New Balance
Kawhi Leonard’s sneaker free agency is over. After turning down a reported a 4-year, $22 million extension to his contract with Jordan Brand, the former NBA Finals MVP will be the new face of New Balance basketball, according to reports.
Kawhi Leonard has signed a multi-year shoe deal with New Balance, though he tells s its not official just yet.News of the deal was first reported by .
Nick DePaula
The deal exact details of the deal aren’t known, but it might not look that different financially than what Leonard would have had with Jordan.
Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a multi-year shoe deal with re-emerging brand New Balance, league sources confirm to ESPN’s .The deal is likely to pay Leonard over $5 million per year.
SportsCenter
The move might be about more than money, like his move away from San Antonio. The Spurs would have been able to offer him the most money as a free agent in the summer of 2019, but the star still forced his way into a trade in 2018.
Now with New Balance, Leonard becomes the top NBA player to represent the brand, which is trying to beef up its presence in the basketball world. Still, the move from the established brand like Jordan to one known more for its running and tennis shoes raised some eyebrows.
New Balance: Kawhi, congratulations on the deal, what did you have in mind for a design?
Rob Perez
Kawhi is really gonna be on the court rockin the Matt Bonner 1s
Inside Kawhi Leonard’s Partnership With New Balance
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When Kawhi Leonard became a sneaker free agent last year after his endorsement deal with Jordan Brand expired, he sat down and met with members of the New Balance Hoops team. Leonard had a lot of questions he wanted answered. While New Balance is established as a performance and lifestyle brand in other categories, they had not been in the basketball sneaker space since Los Angeles Lakers star James Worthy wore their shoes in the 1980s.
Patrick Cassidy, global digital brand marketing director of New Balance, was one of the people answering those questions. Having joined the company more than five years ago after previously being a co-founder of Dime Magazine, a basketball publication, Cassidy explained New Balances vision of re-entering the basketball space, a plan that had been in the works for more than three years.
During that time, the New Balance team had surveyed the market and came up with a long-term plan. Part of that plan was to align themselves with athletes that could tell a different story than the current narratives being pushed in the marketplace. The goal wasnt to unseat Nike and Jordan Brand for the highest market share in the basketball sneaker space, it was to shift away from what everyone else was doing and create something that was sustainable over the long run.
We were not going to make him something that hes not, Cassidy said. It was important to drive home how different he is.
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New Balance Reveals Kawhi Leonards Debut Signature Shoe Ahead Of The Nba All
NBA star Kawhi Leonard has worn the New Balance OMN1S on the court after signing with the brand in November 2018. And even though the shoe is closely associated with the baller, it is not his signature sneaker.
Today, ahead of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, New Balance revealed his debut signature shoe with the brand, dubbed Kawhi.
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The brand confirmed that Leonards first-ever shoe with the brand bearing his name will release in limited quantities this spring with a broader launch in the fall. The price point of the shoe has not been revealed.
New Balance also confirmed that Leonard will wear the sneaker during tonights game.
Although the OMN1S is not his signature shoe, Leonard helped New Balance garner more attention for the look during NBA All-Star Weekend, specifically a collaboration with Chicago native Joe Freshgoods. The collaborator not only reimagined the court-ready OMN1s, he also gave a classic from the brand a new look, the 992, for the two-shoe No Emotions Are Emotions lineup.
Leonard, the leader of the Los Angeles Clippers, is a four-time NBA All-Star, a two-time NBA champion and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Prior to joining New Balance, the accomplished baller was an ambassador for Jordan Brand.
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A Look At The Inspiration Behind The Kawhi ‘4 Bounces’ Plus How New Balance Developed Kawhi Leonard’s Signature Shoe
It seems like everything has gone Kawhi Leonard’s way since that ball bounced four times in what felt like the longest five seconds in NBA history during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the 76ers in 2019. Since those bounces, Leonard won his second championship, second Finals MVP, signed with his hometown Clippers, won the All-Star Game MVP and has his team yet again primed for a title run.
His unreal stretch has been paralleled only by his running partners, New Balance Basketball.
The relationship between Leonard and New Balance formally originated during the 2019 All-Star Weekend. Ever since the first time Leonard laced up his first pair of New Balance kicks, the OMN1S, it feels like the brand has not missed.
A brand making its way back into basketball was on the NBA’s biggest stage and on the feet of one of its biggest stars.
The OMN1S was Leonard’s ‘debut shoe’ with the brand and now comes the unveiling of his first signature shoe — the KAWHI. The world caught its first glimpse of the KAWHI during the 2020 All-Star Game, exactly one year after Leonard helped New Balance re-emerge into the basketball world.
Leonard laced up his signature shoe in front of the masses in February, but now is when the kicks will be available for public consumption in the form of the KAWHI ‘4 Bounces.’
“We tried to replicate the colorway,” Grondin said. “That was a colorway that Kawhi and two of his friends came up with on their own. So it was special to him.”
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Kawhi Leonard Has Quietly Been Wearing Some Of The Hottest Sneakers In The Bubble
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Kawhi Leonards hands defy the known limits of anatomy. A rangy 9.75 inches wide and 11.75 inches longalmost a whole friggin foot!they are the most physically confounding features of an altogether physically confounding human being. Theyre capable of swiping loose balls out of midair from Matrix-esque angles, extending past the similarly stupefying frame of one Giannis Antetokounmpo for a poster dunk, and, as we learned last week, denying a vicious attack on the rim with a single tree branch of a finger. Theres a reason his nicknamenot to mention his estranged personal logois The Klaw.
Lately, though, Kawhis given us a whole new set of appendages to gawk at: his feet. All through the NBAs restart, theyve been laced up in The Kawhi, the reigning Finals MVPs first true signature shoe from New Balance. Its a quietly menacing mid-top silhouette, replete with intricate details along the uppers, and advanced tech under the hood befitting one of the stealthiest apex predators in the league. Which makes sense, given the man himself had a gargantuan hand in the shoes conception and creation.
