adidas today announced partnerships with Joel
Embiid, the No. 3 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers and Marcus Smart, the No. 6
pick by the Boston Celtics.
Embiid and Smart
join No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Danté Exum, the No. 5 pick of the Utah Jazz and add to the elite group of
adidas Basketball athletes in the 2014 NBA Draft.
"I couldn't be
happier to make it official, I am now a member of the adidas family,” said
Marcus Smart.
Embiid and Smart join
the ranks of an adidas Basketball roster highlighted by first-time NBA
All-Stars Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers and John Wall of the
Washington Wizards, 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose of the Chicago
Bulls, Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets and Joakim Noah of the
Chicago Bulls.
“adidas is a brand I’ve always admired, I'm very happy to
join their team as I start my NBA career,” said Joel Embiid.
The two rookies will be featured in a variety of upcoming
adidas initiatives and will play a critical role in the development of
basketball footwear and apparel.
“Our brand’s
momentum with the combination of these top picks and the young, up-and-coming
players who are already part of our family is incredible,” said Chris Grancio,
adidas head of global basketball sports marketing. “There is no ceiling for
what these new partnerships can accomplish and we’re excited to continue
building a successful future for these special players and our brand.”
Player Profiles:
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid’s powerful presence under the basket will make
an impact in the NBA with his soft touch, great balance and incredible
basketball IQ. His potential was made clear when he was selected as the No. 3
overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. During his freshman campaign at The
University of Kansas, the 7-foot center averaged over 11 points, eight rebounds
and nearly three blocks per game and earned All-Big 12 Defensive Player of the
Year honors. Embiid spent most of his life in his home African country of
Cameroon before moving to the U.S. at the age of 16 to start his basketball
career.
Marcus Smart
Marcus Smart’s
strong frame and physical explosiveness as a 6-foot-3-inch point guard that
plays with equal intensity on both ends of the floor will make him a solid
addition to Boston’s backcourt. Coming off a two-time first-team All-Big 12
college career at Oklahoma State, the No. 6 overall pick averaged 18 points,
nearly six rebounds, over four assists and almost three steals per game as a
sophomore. Smart led the Cowboys to two straight NCAA tournament appearances,
making history in 2014 by becoming the first player ever to record 20 points,
10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a tournament game. Smart hails
from Flower Mound, Texas, where he grew up playing competitive football until
the sixth grade and enjoys tennis in his spare time.
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