JAY-Z Lands Creative Director Role with Puma
***UPDATE***: ESPN'S Darren Rovell reports JAY-Z's has signed on as Creative Director instead of President of Basketball Operations as originally reported.
Orignal Story:
JAY-Z is kicking it with Puma for his latest business venture. Complex reports that Hova has joined the sneaker brand as the company’s president of basketball operations.
The Roc Nation mogul will help Puma resurrect their long-forgotten basketball division and select a few players to help facilitate their efforts. He will also assist with the overall concept and direction of the brand. There hasn’t been a prominent NBA player wearing Puma on the court since Vince Carter in 1998.
Along with JAY's appointment, Puma also signed draft prospects Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, and Zhaire Smith. The 2018 NBA draft will be held on Thursday (June 21) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
"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," said Puma's Global Director of Brand and Marketing, Adam Petrick. "JAY-Z felt it was something he wanted to be a part of."
In celebration of Puma getting back into the basketball, the company released limited-edition Walt Clyde Frazier kicks and announced that Frazier has signed a lifetime endorsement deal of the brand.
This isn't the first time JAY-Z entered the world of basketball. In 2012, he became a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets. A year later, he relinquished his stake after forming Roc Nation Sports.
Meanwhile, check out JAY-Z's collaborative album with Beyoncé, Everything Is Love, where he talks about being a "Boss."
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