Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma signs endorsement deal with footwear brand GOAT

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma recently signed a deal with sneaker brand GOAT, making him their first brand ambassador.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma put together a fine rookie season in 2017-2018. The former University of Utah standout averaged 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 77 games.

As a result of his stalwart efforts, Kuzma made the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Not too shabby for a guy who was drafted 27th overall last summer.

Although the Lakers are not quite underway yet, things are looking mighty promising for Kuzma right now. The 6-foot-9 baller will head into Thursday night’s opener against Portland in style.

Per Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report, the rising talent recently signed a pact with sneaker brand GOAT.

PR Newswire shared a press release created by GOAT regarding the matter. Via this source, Kuzma will become GOAT’s first ever brand ambassador.

For those who do not already know, GOAT is the globe’s largest sneaker reseller. That being said, the 23-year-old Laker is receiving quite an honor.

Per PR Newswire, Kuzma shared his thoughts on his new endorsement deal. Suffice to say, the combo forward is a pretty happy camper.

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"“GOAT has inspired me to start collecting more seriously and build my style around sneakers,” said Kyle Kuzma. “People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want. When in reality, it’s hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past, and feel confident they’re authentic. GOAT gives me a second chance at not only the limited releases I missed, but also the shoes I wasn’t able to afford growing up.”"

Based on what SLAM reveals, “Kuuuz” was already sponsored by Nike, thereby making the partnership with GOAT a perfect fit (pun intended).

The timing of the deal is impeccable due to a fairly recent rule change made by the NBA. As Kenny Honaker of ClutchPoints reminds us, the league used to have strict restrictions regarding shoe colors.

Those tight limitations only allowed players to have their team’s colors displayed on their kicks. However, those days are over.

NBA athletes now have the liberty of wearing shoes of any sort of color. In doing so, players get the chance to flaunt their own unique tastes and preferences.

Certainly, the more lenient rules helped make a partnership like this much easier to execute. The Michigan native will wear a variety of different sneakers once the 2018-2019 campaign commences.

Per B/R Kicks Twitter page, the young stud will be boasting some awesome footwear during the Lakers’ season opener.

Prior to this joint venture, Kuzma was already well-known for his fashionable tendencies. On that note, what has transpired here appears to be a match made in heaven from a marketing standpoint.

Notwithstanding that truth, the L.A. Lakers have bigger things in mind for Kuzma. After an already stellar first year, No. 0 is expected to shine even brighter as a sophomore.

Given that Kyle Kuzma went above and beyond as a rookie, it is fair to expect he will do just fine this season.