“Whether it’s more about what is flashy, what you like, or if there’s any outside things that are pushing you in a certain direction. “There’s so many different factors that go into aligning with a brand and being partnered with them,” he said. This new five-year deal with New Balance, signed during LaVine’s eighth NBA season, will extend into his 30s. The 27-year-old relied on his experience navigating the shoe deal process both as a rookie in 2014 when he signed with Nike, and again in 2017 when he signed with Adidas.

In all, he wore 36 different pairs of sneakers this season before officially landing his New Balance contract this week. 1, 2021, creating a “sneaker free agency” period during the season, when he wore shoes from Nike, Jordan, Converse, New Balance and Adidas both on and off the court. LaVine’s previous shoe deal with Adidas expired on Oct.

Related Story Bulls star Zach LaVine is ready to end his career playoff drought Read now “The more and more the process went along, I started to align myself with New Balance and figured out that this is somewhere that I really want to be at,” LaVine said.Ī member of the USA Olympic team that competed in Tokyo late into the summer of 2021, LaVine and his representation at Klutch Sports began their shoe negotiations with several brands just before the start of the NBA season in the fall.įresh off his first All-Star selection in 2021, the 6-foot-5 high-flier and two-time slam dunk contest champion received interest from a variety of brands before eventually deciding on New Balance just as he was named to his second All-Star appearance this year. After playing out the sneaker free agency process well into this season, Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine has signed a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal with New Balance that is set to make him one of the faces of its recently relaunched basketball business.

Women On The Verge by Zachary Ross