Puma basketball introduced their new performance sneaker today, the Puma Clyde Court Disrupt, which will be worn by several incoming rookies including projected #1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Zhaire Smith and now, Michael Porter Jr.
According to reports, Porter Jr. has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Puma Basketball, making him the fourth highly touted prospect to join the brand that, until this year, hadn't signed an NBA player since Vince Carter left the brand for Nike in 1999.
Porter Jr., who will turn 20 on June 29, missed almost his entire freshman season at Mizzou because of a back injury that required him to have microdiscectomy surgery on his L3 and L4 spinal disks. He was able to return in March but appeared in just two games for the Tigers before they were eliminated Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite his lack of playing time, the 6'11 forward is expected to be one of the first seven players selected in the draft, with some reports suggesting the Sacramento Kings are considering him with the #2 overall pick.
In addition to Puma's impressive rookie class, the brand has also named Jay-Z as their creative director. According to Complex, Jay will have a say in the players selected to join Puma's revived basketball division, in addition to assisting in the overall direction of the brand.