adidas has been the official apparel outfitter of the NBA for a while, but the 11-year partnership will come to an end at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. That’s when the deal expires and adidas announced today they do not plan on pursuing extending the relationship.
According to executives at adidas, the partnership has not been as lucrative as originally anticipated. Nike is the knee jerk reaction to who will be next up, but don’t overlook Under Armour. They seem very eager to make an even stronger basketball imprint and a move like this would certainly help in that.
“While we have enjoyed a successful long-term relationship with the league, we continually review our partner agreements to ensure they are meeting our investment and delivering on our brand and business needs,” adidas spokesperson Lauren Lamkin said in a statement.
“We are re-imagining and reshaping our business and have evolved our strategy to look at new, cutting-edge ways to drive our brand and support our business over the long term. We will invest more in telling stories that matter to our consumer, building category-disrupting innovative products, reinvigorating youth basketball with our new Next Generation programs and doubling our roster of professional athletes to authenticate our brand on-court.”
H/T: ESPN
