New York, NY – JAY-Z’s business poker face is a mean one.
Just mere days after springing his Beyonce-duet album EVERYTHING IS LOVE onto the world without prior warning, the Roc Nation mogul is now working with Puma as President Of Basketball Operations as a creative consultant, Complex has learned.
UPDATE: Other reports name JAY-Z as Creative Director.]
And the brand has already beefed up their roster by signing on top NBA prospects Duke’s Marvin Bagley III, Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith and Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton, the latter who is pretty much a shoe-in to be picked first in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
“We’ve been working with Roc Nation for quite some time. They’ve been great partners to us for several years. We’ve done many different deals with many different ambassadors,” Adam Petrick, Puma’s global director brand and marketing, relayed to Complex. When Puma approached him about this opportunity, JAY-Z felt it “was something he wanted to be a part ,” according to Petrick.
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Jigga — who was a minority owner the Brooklyn Nets up unto 2013 — will reportedly handle selecting more top talent in Puma’s basketball division, artistic vision and brand direction. “What’s important to him on a day like today is that it’s clear we’re making a serious push with players like Bagley and Ayton and Smith,” Petrick continued. “We’re making a serious statement about the entry 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 culture, and thinking about the fashion basketball, the music basketball, all the aspects culture around basketball as much as the on court presence that we will have.” Check out the latest hardware from Puma down below, which includes the re-release Walt Clyde Frazier sneakers. Top NBA draft prospects Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III sign with Puma