Puma is coming for Nike's spot

Puma is back in the basketball business.

The iconic sneaker brand has launched its basketball division by signing top NBA draft prospects DeAndre Ayton from Arizona, who is expected to go number one overall, Marvin Bagley III of Duke, and Zhaire Smith of Texas Tech.

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And, according to Complex, JAY-Z will be the president of basketball operations for the company. The rapper will do everything from help Puma pick players to assistwith the art design and direction of Puma Basketball.

Adam Petrick is Puma's global director of brand and marketing. He talked to Complex about the move, saying:

We're making a serious statement about the entry of the category, that we want to be a performance brand, but then also very culturally focused. It's clear that we're looking at basketball through the lens of culture, and thinking about the fashion of basketball, the music of basketball, all the aspects of culture around basketball as much as the on court presence that we will have.

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Puma has also announced that NBA legend Walt Clyde Frazier has signed on to be a lifetime endorser of the brand. To celebrate, Puma released a limited edition shoe.

Source: Complex