Adidas to end NBA contract after 2016-17 season
An Adidas logo is pictured in a pop-up store in Berlin in this December 2, 2014 file photo. Adidas will not renew its contract to supply basketball uniforms to the NBA, when it expires in the 2016-17 season, it said on Monday. (REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/Files )
BERLIN — Sportswear group Adidas will not renew its contract to supply basketball uniforms to the NBA, when it expires in the 2016-17 season, it said on Monday.
Adidas said it would instead focus on investment in new products, youth basketball and doubling the number of basketball players who wear its brand on court.
“While we have enjoyed a successful long-term relationship with the league, we continually review our partner agreements to ensure they are meeting our investment and delivering on our brand and business needs,” Adidas said in a statement on Monday.
Adidas has fallen further behind rival Nike in the United States, and CEO Herbert Hainer has said North America will be a priority for the German group in 2015.
