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After Being Fired By Adidas, Nike-Wearing Terry Rozier Signs With Puma

In the absence of Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier had been an absolutely magificent replacement for the star point guard. The third-year guard undoubtedly has the talent to be a team’s starting point guard.

In these past playoffs, Rozier had been one of the best and most efficient guards. He’s on his way to become a star in this league, and a player with plenty of advertising value. But, back in these playoffs, Rozier didn’t even have a footwear and apparel endorsement contract.

Back in 2016, Rozier signed a three year, $300,000 contract with Adidas, but according to an article written by Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated, Adidas terminated his contract due to a one-time mistake:

On Jan. 18, 2016, Celtics guard Terry Rozier signed a deal that, according to documents provided to SI, guaranteed him $300,000 over three seasons,” Wertheim wrote. “During the 2017 Eastern Conference finals, Rozier wore Nikes during a pregame shootaround. He changed into Adidas shoes for the game, but his public appearance in a rival brand did not escape notice. In a letter delivered by FedEx last May 26, Adidas’s legal counsel Monique Hawthorne notified Rozier, ‘Adidas is terminating your Agreement effective immediately.’”

Then, without a contract last season, Rozier was only wearing Nike. While there was no official information about an existing contract, I guess that Nike must have been pretty happy no matter what. Adidas on the other hand, had to be hopping mad that they terminated the (super cheap) contract over one mistake.

Now, before the start of the new season, Rozier has scored a new, and better paid, shoe contract. After signing this year’s draft’s top picks Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III, Terry Rozier will become the newest Puma athlete. Rozier told Bleacher Report:

 

“Me signing with Puma is basically letting you know, I’m taking over the Puma world. You got guys taking over Adidas, you got guys taking over Nike…whatever. I’m competing with the Puma world and I’m taking over that s–t. From the jump. That’s my whole thing. I feel like I’m going to turn it up because—I ain’t gonna knock nobody on Puma, but I feel like I’m very marketable, I’m the guy that they needed to sign.”