Ditching $168,962,000,000 Worth Co., Darius Garland Becomes New Balance-Backed 8th NBA Star

Rising star athlete of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, has made a bold move. Nike has dominated the NBA shoe sneaker market for decades. But there is a changing trend as new players are entering the market. Chinese brand ANTA has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Kyrie Irving this summer. It’s now New Balance that is catching the headlines. 

According to Forbes, New Balance is worth over $4.4 billion and they have signed Darius in a continued trend of high-profile athlete signings. 

Garland ditches Nike for New Balance 

NBA analyst Nick DePaula tweeted that Darius has officially signed a multi-year shoe deal with New Balance. It’s a bold move considering Nike’s massive market capitalization of $168.962 billion, which is far more than New Balance. New Balance is carving its own space in the NBA and has signed with several other high-profile players. 

“It is a dream to become a part of the New Balance brand,” said Darius about the deal. “New Balance is a family brand and it felt that way from the first conversation. The brand’s commitment to individuality and their respect for athletes to be themselves is something I deeply respect,” he added. It’s still a close-knit group as compared to other sportswear giants.

New Balance is re-emerging in the NBA 

“The fun guy” Kawhi has a successful partnership with New Balance. New Balance announced a multiyear agreement to become an official marketing partner of the NBA when they signed Kawhi to re-emerge in the NBA. New Balance’s ‘We Got Now’ global brand campaign with Leonard was a huge success. He wore his debut signature shoes in his first All-Star game in 2020. The ‘KAWHI 4’ is set to be released in January 2024.

Other notable players are Jamal Murray, Dejounte Murray, Darius Bazley, Aaron Nesmith, Tyrese Maxey, and Cameron Brink, who have signed with New Balance. 

READ MORE: “Hate Wearing What My Opponent Is Wearing”: Eugenie Bouchard Reveals Reason Behind Signing With New Balance

New Balance has come a long way, dating back to the brand formation in 1906. The brand is notably gaining a lot of popularity, as more people are gravitating towards the brand re-positioning. The brand is slowly expanding in the professional leagues and it’s the right time to hop on for young stars in the NBA.

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