Published 15:13 IST, January 16th 2020
Joel Embiid to become first centre in NBA with dedicated line of signature shoes
76ers Joel Embiid is going to be the first NBA Centre to have his own signature shoe. Embiid signed the deal in 2018 and will release the shoe this fall.
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Philadelphia 76ers' star Joel Embiid is set to be the first centre in the NBA to have his own signature shoe. Embiid had signed a sneaker contract with Under Armour in 2018. On January 15, Embiid announced that his signature shoe with Under Armour – UA Embiid 1 – will be released in the fall of 2020. In a press release, Under Armour also released a statement about Joel Embiid and the signature shoe.
NBA 2019-20: Joel Embiid to be the first NBA centre for having own signature shoe
Joel Embiid just announced in Baltimore that his Under Armour Embiid 1 signature shoe will release in Fall 2020.
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) January 14, 2020
He’ll become the 17th NBA player to have a Sig — and the only Center.
An outline of Africa is featured on the heel, the 1st point of contact for anyone wearing it. pic.twitter.com/L3NZWrMAIN
#UAEmbiid1 @underarmour the only way is through pic.twitter.com/VKyJegsgMj
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) January 14, 2020
To anybody who is struggling right now…@JoelEmbiid has a story for you. #TheOnlyWayIsThrough 👉 https://t.co/owPcF6mk31 pic.twitter.com/sTrRiHjrxM
— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) January 16, 2020
In their press release, Under Armour revealed that Embiid had an active role in the making of the shoe. Like all other NBA signature shoes, the UA Joel Embiid 1 Origin has been designed after studying Embiid's gameplay. During the press release, it was also revealed that Embiid said his life was like a movie. And like in a movie, every career has an origin story. A senior footwear designer at Under Armour stated that Embiid's career began from Cameroon, which was the creative focus for the story.
Embiid also shared that he was glad that he was given the opportunity to have his own signature shoe. He was well aware that not all NBA players get this opportunity and he cannot wait to wear his shoe on the court. Joel Embiid is the 17th NBA player to get his own signature shoe. NBA star Stephen Curry is the only other player to have a shoe with Under Armour. Currently, Embiid is averaging 24.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. He is currently sidelined for two weeks due to a finger injury.
Also read | Joel Embiid continues playing despite dislocating left finger in 76ers' win over Thunder
(Image Courtesy: @UnderArmour Twitter)
15:13 IST, January 16th 2020