Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid made his highly anticipated return to action on Tuesday, April 2, after being sidelined for over two months due to a meniscus injury in his left knee.
The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player showcased a flashy sneaker in his comeback game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at home in the Wells Fargo Center.
Embiid wore Skechers basketball shoes for the first time this season after officially inking a multi-year shoe deal with the brand, according to league insiders Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
The 30-year-old was first seen wearing Skechers basketball shoes in October 2023 during a Sixers team practice, with the brand's performance team present to oversee the testing of the sneaker.
However, he hadn't worn them in an official NBA game this season until the game against the Thunder.
Joel Embiid continued to wear old Under Armour shoes in 2023-24
The seven-time NBA All-Star continued to wear his old Under Armour Embiid One signature sneaker all season long before tonight, while Skechers has been working on personalized game pairs for him, according to sneaker industry insider Nick DePaula.
The Embiid One shoe was released in 2020 but received no follow-up models after lower-than-expected sales despite the center's on-court success. His contract with the Batimore-based brand expired in October 2023.
Before his Under Armour deal, Adidas sponsored Embiid.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.