24. Brandon Jennings
photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images via ZimbioHate it or love it, Under Armour is a major player in the basketball footwear game. While the brand made headlines this summer for almost stealing away Kevin Durant from the Swoosh, the Shield gained their basketball buzz and credibility by signing a cavalier kid from Compton back in ’08.
Passing up the chance to run the point for the Wildcats in Tuscon, Brandon Jennings took the road less traveled by forgoing his thought to be single season in college to play professionally in Rome. Before packing his bags, Under Armour inked the Oak Hill standout to a $2 Million deal, making him the first basketball endorsee for the brand. In BJ’s first year with UA, he’d serve more or less as a product tester for the brand overseas, building the buzz for both the shoe and his own NBA debut.
In his first two seasons with the Bucks, B-Jennings would drop 55 points as a rookie and cover KICKS magazine all with Under Armour on his feet. He’d receive signature models and even be appointed ‘Curator of Cool’ by the brand. While the slick guard may no longer be at the forefront of Under Armour’s basketball business, he was a major player in paving the way for their current success and all that is to come.
-Ian Stonebrook
