Deandre Ayton surprised some people when he revealed that he has signed an endorsement deal with Puma, and he has surprised even more by wearing Nike shoes during NBA summer league games in Las Vegas. On Monday, Ayton explained his choice in footwear.
After he scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns’ 71-53 victory over the Orlando Magic, Ayton was asked why he wore Kobe Nike shoes instead of Pumas. The former Arizona star said Puma is still working on designing the perfect shoe for him.
Deandre Ayton on why he wore Kobes instead of Puma shoes: “I love Puma shoes, but I wear size 18 so we’re working on putting a lot of technology into the shoe. They want me to perform the best way I can.” #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/HFF1SnP7zE
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) July 8, 2018
Puma made a huge splash by signing Ayton and No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III to endorsement deals, which seems to indicate that they have plans to compete with Nike and Adidas down the line. Ayton has already looked impressive during summer league play, despite what one established NBA star thinks about him. The quicker Puma gets those size 18’s made for him, the better off they’ll be.
