Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has signed on with GOAT as their first Brand Ambassador. The deal calls for Kuzma represent GOAT on and off the court and will allow for him to wear rare and highly-coveted Nike sneakers throughout the season.
The endorsement deal is the first between an athlete a sneaker marketplace/reselling platform. The deal follows the NBA removing its restrictions on sneaker colors to allow its players to be more expressive on the court.
“GOAT has inspired me to start collecting more seriously and build my style around sneakers,” Kuzma said. “People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want.
“When in reality, it’s hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past, and feel confident they’re authentic. GOAT gives me a second chance at not only the limited releases I missed, but also the shoes I wasn’t able to afford growing up.”
As a rookie, Kuzma regularly wore various models from Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s signature line with Nike. That included debuting the Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro in practice, then a game at Staples Center.
Kuzma memorably went deep into his closet to break out the “MVP” Nike Kobe 3 for a game, and also expanded to the brand’s subsidiary by donning the “True Blue” Air Jordan III.
As an ode to his new teammate, Kuzma took the court for the Lakers’ season opener on Thursday night in the Nike Zoom Flight 2K3, which was the shoe that James wore for his first NBA practice. Kuzma then switched into the “Kuzz Control” Kobe AD he designed through Nike iD for Opening Week.
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