Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who won NBA Rookie of the Year this past season, is scheduled to release his first signature shoe.
Ball, who has been a fan favorite since he was a high school superstar at Chino Hills in Southern California, was always destined to draw intrigue when he signed a sneaker deal because of his off-court popularity.
The 19-year-old was signed to his family-owned Big Baller Brand until leaving the company to sign with Puma in Oct. 2020. He rocked the Puma Clyde All-Pro sneakers on the court during his first year with the Hornets. But it was only a matter of time before Puma was going to let Ball use his platform for his own line.
After an impressive debut campaign in the NBA, however, the hype surrounding the upcoming release for Ball is greater than ever. He will ride that momentum into the 2021-22 season and will be rocking his signature shoe in the process.
LaMelo Ball debuts his first @PumaHoops signature shoe, the MB1, at NBA Summer League. pic.twitter.com/6w7qZ9vT42
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 8, 2021
Earlier this month, Ball showed up at Las Vegas Summer League to support his Charlotte teammates — including his older brother LiAngelo Ball. He was wearing the Puma MB1, per ESPN’s Nick DePaula.
According to Tyler Tynes, who recently wrote a fantastic profile on Ball in GQ, the drop is currently scheduled for Oct. 2021. You can explore more of Ball’s collection with Puma here.
It shouldn’t be a surprise if the sneakers are immediately among the most popular among basketball fans, especially considering his popularity among younger viewers.
Here is a close-up view of what the Puma MB1 sneakers look like on his feet:
