Adidas has signed its “largest batch of NBA rookies in company history,” adding a dozen players from the 2022 draft class to its roster of endorsers, according to Nick DePaula of ANDSCAPE. The “headliner” of the rookie class is Pacers F Bennedict Mathurin as he is joined by fellow lottery picks Rockets F Jabari Smith, Kings F Keegan Murray, Wizards G Johnny Davis, Thunder F Ousmane Dieng and Thunder G Jalen Williams. The collective of rookies is “looking to establish Adidas’ new approach to design and marketing” after the brand moved its basketball employees to L.A. last summer. Mathurin was “one of the rookies most courted by sneaker brands this year.” DePaula noted since the spring, five brands “expressed interest in signing him.” Just before the draft, Adidas hosted Mathurin for a pitch presentation “at a mansion in the Hollywood hills.” Even as other brands came to the table, Mathurin’s mind was “made up.” Eventually, Adidas will “create player-exclusive colorways for Mathurin, who already has themes in mind.” A “#DomixWorld tribute to his brother will be first, along with pairs dedicated to Montreal and his collegiate days in Tucson, Arizona.” Mathurin is “also looking to create a loud and colorful mismatched pair, celebrating the flags of his Haitian and Canadian background” (ANDSCAPE, 12/16).
