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Big Ballin': Jay-Z Signs On As Puma’s President Of Basketball Operations

He's expanding the Carter empire once again!

As if the Carters weren’t breaking the internet enough with their On The Run II tour and new, surprise album Everything Is Love, we can now expect shoes and apparel from the king of the Carter empire.

We all know Jay-Z as a rapper, the founder of Roc Nation, and Tidal’s owner, but Puma has just announced that the music mogul will be the creative lead of their basketball operations. This is the first time in 20 years that the Puma will be launching basketball sneakers.

(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PUMA)

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PUMA

(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PUMA)

According to Puma, Jay-Z will head Puma’s basketball division with their creative direction of products as well as recruiting players and artists. But this isn’t the first time that Jay-Z has collaborated with this brand.

"We've been working with Roc Nation for quite some time,” says Puma’s global director of brand and marketing Adam Petrick. “They've been great partners to us for several years. We've done many different deals with many different ambassadors."

Puma has already signed promising NBA draft picks Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III and Zhaire Smith to multi-year footwear and clothing endorsement deals. The last player that Puma signed was Vince Carter in 1998.

Puma also revealed their first shoe this week in collaboration with their first signed signature athlete, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who they signed to a lifetime contract. The brand plans to modernize their original “Clyde” sneaker from 1973.

(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PUMA)

Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PUMA

(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for PUMA)

Roc Nation’s Rihanna is also an ambassador for Puma with multiple footwear and apparel collaborations. As Roc Nation continues to expand into sports management (ever since signing clients such as Kevin Durant and Jeremy Lin) as well as this collaboration with Puma, Jay-Z can check fashion and sports mogul off on his list of many accomplishments.

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