Heat Rising Stars Kendrick Nunn, Derrick Jones Jr. Sign with Puma

Miami Heat teammates Kendrick Nunn and Derrick Jones Jr. each had productive trips to Chicago for 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend. The former scored 16 points in front of a hometown crowd in the Rising Stars game at the United Center, the latter narrowly edged Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon for the Slam Dunk Contest championship and both inked sneaker deals with Puma.

According to ESPN, Derrick, in particular, had been testing out Puma’s sneakers in recent months. He wore a white-and-pink version of the Puma Clyde Hardwood shoe during his spectacular performance in the dunk contest, and received an offer from the German apparel brand shortly thereafter.

“It helps me with shoes because I really don’t have to buy any shoes anymore,” Derrick told The Athletic. “I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to wear. I had a lot of Pumas already, but now I just can grab anything that has Puma on it.”

 

Josh Martin is the Editorial Director of CloseUp360. He previously covered the NBA for Bleacher Report and USA Today Sports Media Group, and has written for Yahoo! Sports and Complex. He is also the co-host of the Hollywood Hoops podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.