Marcus Smart wasn’t the biggest sneaker free agent this summer, but given his stature as something of a cult hero in Boston he had plenty of value on the market.
Smart had his rookie shoe deal with adidas run up after last season, and all summer the expectation has been he will end up with Puma, as he was spotted wearing Puma sneakers during his time with USA Basketball. On Thursday, Smart made that move official with a video announcing his multi-year signing that is pretty bizarre.
We eat GRIT for breakfast in this house! It’s official – #PUMAFAM!@PUMAHoops pic.twitter.com/kACqQndhV0
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) October 24, 2019
It’s pretty brilliant of Puma to embrace Smart’s status as the king of Weird Celtics Twitter, most notably by using the phrase “combat muscles” on the box of grits at the end. The grit part is pretty straightforward, but works because that is Smart’s brand of basketball. As for having breakfast with a giant Puma mascot, I choose to believe that’s also partially a nod to his Smarf nickname, referencing the cat from “Too Many Cooks.”
In any case, Smart is now with Puma, who get a footprint (literally) in the Celtics locker room after Terry Rozier’s departure, and based on this promo spot they will be appealing to the legions of fans that idolize Smart online.
