Jay-Z joining Puma's basketball division as 'creative consultant'
Rap superstar Jay-Z is joining Puma's newly-relaunched basketball division as a "creative consultant," according to multiple reports.
Adam Petrick, Puma's global director of marketing and brand, told Complex magazine that the rapper's addition is evidence that the company is "making a serious statement" as it ramps up its basketball branch.
"It's clear that we're looking at basketball through the lens of culture, and thinking about the fashion of basketball, the music of basketball, all the aspects of culture around basketball as much as the on court presence that we will have," Petrick told Complex.
Petrick originally told the magazine that Jay-Z's role would be "president of basketball operations."
Spokespeople for Puma did not immediately reply to requests for comment from Paste BN Sports on Tuesday morning.
While Monday's news made headlines, ESPN reported that Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has had ties to Puma for more than a year, with the company providing Puma apparel for him to wear during a 2017 tour. The 48-year-old also founded Roc Nation Sports, a sports agency that boasts Robinson Cano and Kevin Durant as among its most notable clients.
The addition of Jay-Z is the latest splash that Puma basketball has made over the past few days. The company announced on Twitter on Monday that it has signed likely lottery picks Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III to endorsement deals.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.