Report: Adidas dropped Terry Rozier for wearing Nikes at shootaround

Terry Rozier had to learn the hard way just how serious shoe rivalries can be.

In a feature on Derrick Rose’s Adidas deal that was published on Tuesday, Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated shared an interesting anecdote about how the Boston Celtics guard Rozier, who also previously had a sponsorship deal with Adidas, was dropped by the company for wearing Nikes during a shootaround.

Per Wertheim:

Adidas’s treatment of Rose is especially perplexing given how closely the company has held other players to the letter of their contracts. On Jan. 18, 2016, Celtics guard Terry Rozier signed a deal that, according to documents provided to SI, guaranteed him $300,000 over three seasons.

During the 2017 Eastern Conference finals, Rozier wore Nikes during a pregame shootaround. He changed into Adidas shoes for the game, but his public appearance in a rival brand did not escape notice. In a letter delivered by FedEx last May 26, Adidas’s legal counsel Monique Hawthorne notified Rozier, “Adidas is terminating your Agreement effective immediately.” (According to Rozier’s representatives, they plan to arbitrate Adidas’s decision.)

The 23-year-old Rozier, who is currently averaging career-highs in points (9.7), rebounds (4.6), and assists per game (2.3), has been seen this season playing in Kobe Bryant’s signature Nike shoes instead. But his terminated Adidas endorsement is yet another illustration of how fierce the competition between the two sneaker giants truly is.