The reigning Rookie of the Year unveiled his all-new Puma MB1 sneaker at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
While attending the Charlotte Hornets’ first NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas Sunday in support of his teammates and brother LiAngelo, LaMelo Ball also debuted his first signature shoe from the sidelines.
The Puma MB1, slated for a Fall 2021 release, was spotted for the first time on LaMelo’s feet in a vibrant all-red colorway. Featuring an illustration of his “MB1” wings chest tattoo along the shoe’s tongue, details also include “1 of 1” along the tongue tab and a wing-inspired design along the upper.
“I am someone who likes to be different and consider myself to be one of one,” Ball said after first signing with Puma in October of 2020 ahead of being drafted No. 3 overall by the Hornets. “That’s the message I want to share in my upcoming projects with PUMA.”
The MB1 is Puma’s first signature shoe for an NBA player since Vince Carter’s Vinsanity model in 1999. Ball, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year in June, joins an elite class of up-and-coming players to receive their own signature with the brand — Trae Young and Zion Williamson both debuted their namesake models earlier this spring.
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Veterans CJ McCollum and Jimmy Butler are expected to launch their own Li-Ning signature shoes later this fall as well, bringing the current number of NBA players with a signature sneaker to 22 for the 2021-22 season.
Puma re-launched its basketball category in 2018 and signed more than a dozen players around the league. Now, the brand is hoping LaMelo can help them take things to the next level and make an imprint on the industry with the launch of the MB1.
