Only in his fourth season with the Washington Wizards, it’s been made evident over the last couple of years that 22-year-old wing Kelly Oubre Jr. has never been afraid to stand out.
Oubre Jr. has proven to bring an authentic flair to his ever-improving game and this not only reflects on the hardwood but off the court as well. As he continues to rise, Oubre Jr. also put pen-to-paper on a shoe deal unlike any other in the NBA, or the rest of the sports world for that matter. According to ESPN’s Nick DePaula, Oubre will sign a multi-year shoe and apparel deal with Converse, a subsidiary of sneaker giant Nike.
As part of its re-emergence in basketball culture, Converse has signed Washington Wizards wing Kelly Oubre Jr. to a multi-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal. The shoe deal will be the first of its kind in the NBA, with Oubre expected to wear Nike basketball sneakers on court, while headlining its Nike Inc. subsidiary brand Converse casually.
The partnership speaks to the growing attention paid to the league’s arena-entry fashion, with Oubre Jr. looking to lead and debut a variety of new Converse sneakers with his pregame arrival outfits throughout the season.
While Kelly Oubre Jr. won’t be able to wear Converse shoes in-game just yet due to a lack of basketball sneakers, this could also be on the horizon. Oubre Jr. told Washington Post’s Candace Buckner that a Converse basketball shoe is in the works and that he will be heavily involved in the sneaker’s creative process.
Kelly Oubre Jr., the new Converse brand ambassador, talks about his new deal pic.twitter.com/oeb79DVu36
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) November 16, 2018
Though Oubre Jr. will be wearing Nike on-court, at least for now, we will see the dynamic forward rocking Converse with his often eye-grabbing pregame outfits before Wizards games.
We’ve seen brands not typically associated with the NBA emerge more than ever this year, with Puma inking a plethora of talent and now with Converse hoping to get their foot in the door with Oubre Jr. on board. With Oubre Jr. at the forefront of Converse’s basketball movement, it may just be a matter of time before other names give the brand a shot.
