Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is one of the most interesting personalities in the NBA and one of the most marketable athletes in the game. Now, the larger-than-life Sixers star is in agreement with Under Armour on a deal, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports. Thamel writes:
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid is signing with Under Armour, sources told Yahoo Sports, with the endorsement deal expected to be finalized Wednesday. Embiid appears ready to test the theory that the NBA’s tallest stars can’t sell shoes.
If any big man can transcend the norm and move sneakers, it's Embiid. He has a significant presence on social media and is one of the most exciting players in the league. His trash talking and trolling are already legendary, and Embiid is only scratching the surface of how popular he can become.
Signing with Under Armour is a big move for Embiid, and he has expressed a desire for his own signature shoe so he can prove that big men can sell shoes. He told Tim MacMahon of ESPN:
“A lot of people, you know, always have that notion [that] big men can't sell shoes. And when I look at myself … I can dribble, I can pass the ball, I can shoot. I can bring it up. I can be a playmaker. I'm more than a big man. So as far as signature shoes, I'm excited to come and break that.”
Under Armour is taking a chance on Embiid in the hope that he can turn around the company's recent misfortunes by breaking the mold for big men.
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