Hov has been named as the new Prez of Puma Basketball

PUMA makes power moves.

Onitsuka Tiger Web Exclusive.

The big boy move arrives just as PUMA Basketball signed three incoming top NBA draft prospects in , DeAndre Ayton, Zhaire Smith and Marvin Bagley, with the former signing the biggest rookie shoe deal since KD 11 years ago. Ayton is projected to go number one overall, with the other two expected to make the top 10, if not 5.

Adam Petrick, PUMA’s global director of brand and marketing, told Complex earlier today that “[PUMA] has been working with Roc Nation for quite some time. They’ve been great partners to us for several years. We’ve done many different deals with many different ambassadors,”

Complex also highlight that JAY-Z will provide input into which athletes will be chased down and being signed to PUMA Basketball, as well as collaborative inputs in to in design, concepts, and brand direction.

“What’s important to him on a day like today is that it’s clear we’re making a serious push with players like Bagley and Ayton and Smith,” Petrick added. “We’re making a serious statement about the entry of the category, that we want to be a performance brand, but then also very culturally focused. It’s clear that we’re looking at basketball through the lens of culture, and thinking about the fashion of basketball, the music of basketball, all the aspects of culture around basketball as much as the on court presence that we will have.”

With such huge moves from PUMA this off season, we’re expecting some big things come the beginning of the 2018/19 NBA season. Do you think Jay and co. can resurrect PUMA Basketball from the dead? tell us in the comments section below!