After choosing to play without an official shoe endorsement deal for more than two years, Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown introduced his own brand, 741, under which he released the long-awaited first signature shoe of his career, the Rover. will bring to market.

The announcement of the brand, self-funded and operated by Brown, came Tuesday after the Celtics’ media day, where the reigning NBA Finals MVP posed for official team photos while wearing his new shoe that he will wear in the upcoming 2024 NBA season becomes.

“741 is more than just a sneaker brand,” Brown said in an official press release. “It’s a statement – ​​about independence, creativity and personal responsibility.”

The 741 Rover is scheduled to launch on October 22nd, the same day as Boston’s season opener against the New York Knicks. According to 741’s official website, adult sizes of the shoe cost $200 per pair, while children’s sizes cost $70.

Brown’s first shoe will make him the NBA’s 28th active signature headliner. This season, the first signature shoes are expected for De’Aaron Fox (Curry Brand), the All-Star point guard of the Sacramento Kings, and Nikola Jokic (361 Degrees), the three-time NBA MVP of the Denver Nuggets. Brown also joins Patrick Ewing (Ewing Athletics, 1989) and Shaquille O’Neal (Dunk.net/Dunkman, 2000-01) as at least the ninth player in NBA history to release a signature sneaker under a personal or family brand . and Stephon Marbury (Starbury, 2006).

“Understanding ownership and value is what’s important for the next generation of athletes,” Brown said in the first press release promoting 741. “It’s time to create more value for everyone involved, from athletes above Consumers to employees and the communities that support them.” He said he turned down “offers of $50 million” from major footwear companies to take full ownership and creative design control under his own company.

Brown initially supported Adidas under a standard player contract, which he signed as a rookie in 2016 and under which he played until the five-year contract expired in 2021. In the spring of 2022, Brown made headlines when he became the first NBA player to sign with Donda Sports. a talent agency founded by music artist and long-time Adidas collaborator Kanye West. The move potentially set the stage for Brown to become the face and first signature headliner of a Yeezy basketball division until the rapper’s partnership with Adidas abruptly ended in October 2022, right at the start of Brown’s groundbreaking seventh NBA season and Brown left Donda Sports.

For the past two years, Brown has played in Nike sneakers despite not being officially affiliated with a shoe company. However, in late 2023, he began removing Swoosh logos on pairs from the late Kobe Bryant’s signature line and on pairs from Nike’s GT series. The creative control Brown took over his Nike shoes was likely fueled by the controversial termination of his former Celtics teammate Kyrie Irving’s long-standing signature headlining partnership with Nike, which ended before the 2023 NBA season. “Since when does Nike care about ethics?” Brown wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, responding to comments from company founder Phil Knight regarding the termination of Irving’s partnership. Brown’s post has since received more than 120,000 reposts and likes.

“I’m more inclined to go down that disruptive path,” Brown said on the website in November 2023 Point Forward Podcasthosted by longtime NBA veterans Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. “Many contracts that athletes sign are of a stationary nature. Here it is loud and clear, no creative control, no control over your marketing, but actually no input.”

In early June, after the Celtics reached the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown’s persistent pursuit of finding his own path in footwear came into focus when he participated in pregame warmups in a nondescript shoe, fueling speculation , that it would be his upcoming move first signature model. However, no one could identify or confirm the brand behind the aesthetically futuristic design.