The Lakers forward becomes the face of Puma’s new basketball division after signing the lucrative shoe deal.
According to ESPN, the deal runs for 5 years and totals over $20 million. Additional incentives were added to increase that number. Kuzma is now one of the highest-paid athletes signed by the Puma brand. Interesting enough, Kuzma will make $1.9 million from the Lakers for the 2019-20 season, less than half of his yearly Puma salary.
Kuzma previously signed a 2-year deal with Nike after being drafted. That deal only paid about $25,000 a year, although performance bonuses led him to make six figures in each year. Kyle also signed a short deal with the sneaker resell platform in 2019, which allowed him to wear limited Nike sneakers. This includes old-school Kobe sneakers that he wore growing up. Kyle cited his idolization of Kobe Bryant as the toughest reason to leave the Swoosh.
An idol that Kuzma hopes to pay tribute to in the future is the late Nipsey Hussle, who previously collaborated with Puma. Kyle notably has a “TMC” flag tattoo on his arm, representing the unwavering faith of those that never quit.
Kuzma joins other NBA players like Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, Terry Rozier, and DeAndre Ayton who have signed with Puma. Expect the rising Lakers star to wear the Puma Clyde Hardwood for the upcoming season, as he works behind the scenes on future collaborations.