This is a question that any basketball fan has had in their minds at some point in their lives. According to Rusty LaRue, an ex-Chicago guard, the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls could win championships in any era. He also suggested that the team would stack up well against the current Los Angeles Lakers or Milwaukee Bucks teams.

In the 1990s, there was no team strong enough to stop Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. In that era, the Bulls became the most dominant outfit in the NBA. However, the NBA has changed significantly over the years with the likes of Stephen Curry, a three-point specialist, leading the Golden State Warriors to five consecutive NBA Finals. If you have been wagering on the NBA events on online sports betting NJ, you will agree that the game’s dynamics have changed. Nonetheless, LaRue, a rookie guard for the Bulls in 1997-98, is resolute that the Chicago team he was part of would effortlessly mix it up with LeBron James, Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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The Bears did not fire Matt Nagy on Monday to take advantage of a new NFL rule that allows teams with coaching vacancies to interview candidates from other teams during the final two weeks of the regular season.

No big deal for the Bears. The “early-firing period” is overrated — with teams limited to two-hour virtual interviews. That’s a tough way to find a coach, especially for the Bears. They do the cloak-and-dagger, due-diligence searches for their big hires and come up with Mitch Trubisky and Matt Nagy. What are the odds they’ll find the right guy in a two-hour Zoom call?

The Bears need bigger changes than hiring a new coach. At the least, they need to push general manager Ryan Pace into a John Paxson role behind their Arturas Karnisovas, if they can find him. Pace has certifiable personnel chops, but has swung and missed too often on big moves. The Bears need a home run hitter in the clean-up spot.

So while the focus has been on Nagy’s status this week, it’s at the GM/President of Football Operations level where the Bears needed to make their early move, to get someone in place to get the lay of the land and find a new coach.

For what it’s worth, that’s how the Packers changed their fortunes in 1991, when they fired GM Tom Braatz and hired Ron Wolf with four weeks to go in the regular season. Wolf’s first game as GM was against the Falcons, where a pre-game chat with Falcons personnel chief Ken Herock alerted Wolf that rookie back-up quarterback Brett Favre was available.

Wolf, who had been enamored with Favre since he scouted him as the Jets’ director of player personnel, made the deal for Favre — and the rest is history. The Bears, who at the time were dominating the Packers, have been chasing their rival for the last 30 years.

Getting Favre was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but if the Bears are going to think big, the sooner the better. The problem, of course, is that at Halas Hall, they never think quite as big as they need to.

Not under McCaskey leadership, anyhow. When George Halas knew change was necessary, the Bears hired former Vikings GM Jim Finks early in the 1974 season and put him in charge of the entire operation. Finks hired Jack Pardee and drafted Walter Payton the following January, and the rest is history.

But therein lies the difference between the Halases and the McCaskeys. When George Halas went outside of the family for leadership, George “Mugs” Halas Jr. hired Finks, a proven GM who had built the Vikings into a Super Bowl team from the ground up. When the McCaskeys went outside the family for leadership, they promoted Ted Phillips, an accountant and contract negotiator.

So it’s the same old story with the Bears, who have won four playoff games in 29 seasons since Michael McCaskey fired Mike Ditka and put the franchise totally in McCaskey family hands: It starts at the top.

2. Red Flag Dept.: Nick Foles’ winning performance against the Seahawks on Sunday — after not even knowing he was starting until Friday — continued an odd trend in Matt Nagy’s offense: Veteran quarterbacks who come in cold or with limited-to-no practice time are 5-1 with a 98.8 passer rating (nine touchdowns, one interception) in Nagy’s four seasons.

Previously, Chase Daniel in 2018 (106.8 vs. the Lions) and 2019 (101.4 vs. the Vikings), Foles in 2020 (three touchdowns vs. the Falcons) and Andy Dalton this season (317 passing yards vs. the Lions) were short-notice winners.

3. Nagy’s gamble to go for the win against the Seahawks with a two-point conversion with 1:01 left in regulation was only the second time the Bears have disdained a tying PAT to go for the win in the final minutes.

The only other time also was in a what-have-we-got-to-lose situation: In 1997, Dave Wannstedt’s Bears were 0-6 but had a chance to end a seven-game losing streak to the Packers after a touchdown with 1:54 left closed the deficit to 24-23 at Soldier Field. But Erik Kramer’s swing pass to Raymont Harris was high and wide for an incompletion.

4. With the 25-24 victory over the Seahawks, the Bears are 4-21 (.160) when allowing 24 or more points in four seasons under Nagy. The only teams with a worse winning percentage in that span when allowing 24 or more points are Washington (2-29, .065) and the Jaguars (1-38, .026).

5. The Bears sacked Russell Wilson twice, but they had no takeaways for the fifth time in the last eight games.

The Bears lead the NFL in sacks per pass play but have just 11 takeaways this season. Over the previous 10 seasons, the league leader in sacks has averaged 26.7 takeaways, with none lower than 20 (the 2018 Vikings).

6. Maybe Justin Fields should just sit out the final two games and wait for a new offense he figures to be playing in next season. This offense doesn’t seem very rookie friendly. And while most rookie quarterbacks struggle in the NFL, Fields has struggled more than most.

Of the 19 rookie quarterbacks since 2017 to start eight or more games, Fields’ 73.2 passer rating ranks 14th. His 58.9% completions ranks 13th. His 155.8 yards per game ranks 19th. Even third-round pick Davis Mills seems to be making steadier progress, with ratings of 93.2, 92.2 and 130.6 in his last three starts.

7. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman played just 18 snaps against the Seahawks and was shut out on the stat sheet. And while statistics generally don’t quantify Goldman’s impact, by the eye test he’s having a tough comeback season after opting out of last season. Even line coach Chris Rumph acknowledged that.

“It’s been a slow year. It hasn’t been his year,” Rumph said. “It’s almost like a rookie year or second year for him trying to get back in the groove of things.”

Rumph said he is confident Goldman — a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019 — can get back to where he was. But it’s going to take some work.

“No doubt,” Rumph said. “It’s going to be a very important offseason for him to get his body right, his mind right and be the dominant guy he’s capable of being.”

8. Robert Quinn needs just one sack in the final two games to eclipse Richard Dent’s franchise record of 17.5 sacks in a season. And Quinn did not play against the Buccaneers while on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so he will play a maximum of 16 games.

Quinn has had at least a share of a sack in 12 of his 14 games — at least one in the last seven games — with no cheapies.

But 37 years later, it’s hard to explain what a revelation and force of nature Dent was in 1984, his second NFL season after being an eighth-round draft pick. Dent started the 1984 season as a backup behind Tyrone Keys — with one sack in six games.

He became a starter in Week 7 and had 16.5 sacks in the final 10 games. Then he had three more sacks in an upset of the Redskins in the playoffs — and three more in the Pro Bowl. So he had 22.5 sacks in his final 12 games that season. And he was just getting started.

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Jets kicker Eddy Pineiro kicked field goals of 42 and 20 yards in a 26-21 victory over the Jaguars. Pineiro is 6-for-6 on field goals in three games with the Jets.

10. Bear-ometer: 6-11 — vs. Giants (W); at Vikings (L).

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As we get closer to the dark, dismal days of a frozen Chicago, you might be looking to veer away from the standard pizza or Chinese take-out that seems to make its way into your home once (or three times) a week. If you’re into bold flavor combinations with a mix of ingredients in each bite, it’s time to try out Chicago’s best spots for Filipino food. 

Located in Chicago’s trendy food hall, Urban Space, Isla is conveniently located in the heart of the Loop. With a smaller menu, they’ve perfected the classics. After a long day back at the office, dealing with co-workers IRL, pick up some Chicken Adobo and Lumpia sure to take your get your mind off the stress of your day and onto the flavors of garlic, soy sauce, and scallions. Your stomach, taste buds, and sanity will thank you. 

Not into leaving home during the winter vortex? Isla is conveniently available on GrubHub! 

Kubo Chicago has a menu full of the Filipino classics- Pork Ribs Adobo, Pancit, and Kansi Soup to name a few. Restaurant goers can’t stop talking about the good food, great service, and incredible patio seating that is perfect for a night out you won’t stop talking about for a while. Bonus? During non-Covid times, they offer Kamayan dining aka eating with your hands. Do a service to your inner child and spoil yourself with delicious food, sans-silverware. 

We know Wicker Park is a hot spot for good eats, so I had to mention Cebu. Started by three siblings from Cebu, Phillipines, you’re sure to find authentic and delicious dishes. Shareable plates, Filipino classics, and craft cocktails make up this menu, but don’t forget about their brunch and happy hour! Bottomless mimosas and a Longganisa breakfast burger? I’m there.  

Event? Work lunch? Family coming over for dinner and you want to “WOW” them with something different? Pig & fire is the place to go. Garfield Park is home to this Filipino-fusion spot that perfectly combines traditional food with contemporary flavors. Specializing in catering, their menu is sure to satisfy and leave you wanting more. Along with the classic entrees, people can’t stop raving about the Ube Chocolate Chip Cookies (available by the dozen). Asking for a friend, can I order 20?

Named by Esquire as one of the Best New Restaurants of 2021, a trip to Kasama can’t miss. Whether you’re looking for a traditional Filipino breakfast or a dinner with unique ingredients, this is your sign. Their sample menu is subject to change, so you’ll always have something new to try. Available for take-out and delivery, Kasama is perfect for a relaxing date night, movie night, or night alone with a bottle of Filipino rum by your side. 

I’ll admit, this is a little bit west of the city, let me explain. Quick, delicious food? Check. BYOB? Yup. Perfected menu with a helpful staff? You got it. Well, Sarrap’s got it. Whether you’re looking for a quick meal that isn’t the classic fast-food restaurant on every corner (I’m not naming names), or a place to unwind with a drink and a delicious meal, this is the spot. Now if you need me, I’ll be eating pork Kare-Kare with a bottle, or box, of Pinot Noir. 

Located north-west of Wrigley, Subo gained their popularity from huge portions and delicious dishes.  Patrons often compare Subo to home-cooking and can’t get enough of the expansive menu with options to curb any appetite. The hardest choice you’ll have when it comes to Subo is deciding between the Pancit Noodle Bowl, BBQ Skewers, or Salmon soup, so I recommend just getting all three and thanking yourself later.  

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Farm machinery and opera.

Not two realms that traditionally mix. You’ve got your threshers and combines over there, doing their business, and your sopranos and librettists in a completely different place, doing theirs. Never the twain shall meet.

Yet perhaps the most famous piece of music that ever debuted in Chicago, 100 years ago Thursday, was first performed here and not New York or Paris or Moscow because Chicago was home to the International Harvester Company.

Interested? Well tough, because that’s our topic for today.

On Dec. 30, 1921, the opera “The Love for Three Oranges,” by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere at the Auditorium Theatre.

How did that happen?

Four years earlier, after the overthrow of the czar, the U.S. State Department sent a delegation to Russia to check out the situation. The committee included Cyrus H. McCormick Jr., eldest son of the inventor of the mechanical reaper and president of International Harvester.

In Petrograd, McCormick met the 26-year-old composer. Prokofiev’s name meant nothing to McCormick. But the ambitious musician certainly knew McCormick’s — Prokofiev’s late father had been a manager of large farms.

Cyrus McCormick built his first mechanical reaper in 1831. Soon he was Chicago’s largest employer, with 120 workers who produced 450 reapers in one year. When his son, Cyrus Jr., met Sergei Prokofiev, he had no idea who the Russian composer was, but Prokofiev knew all about McCormick reapers — his father had managed large farms.Chicago Historical SocietyCyrus McCormick built his first mechanical reaper in 1831. Soon he was Chicago’s largest employer, with 120 workers who produced 450 reapers in one year. When his son, Cyrus Jr., met Sergei Prokofiev, he had no idea who the Russian composer was, but Prokofiev knew all about McCormick reapers — his father had managed large farms.Chicago Historical Society

McCormick was also a governing member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and quizzed Prokofiev about who he felt was most worthy of notice on the Russian music scene.

Prokofiev, naturally enough, boosted the most promising young composer he knew: himself. McCormick sent Prokofiev’s published music back to Chicago (along with, to the Russian’s horror, music from lesser composers).

“To go to America!” Prokofiev confided in his diary. “Of course! Here was wretchedness; there life brimming over. Here, slaughter and barbaric rhetoric; there, cultivated life. Here, shabby concerts in Kislovodsk; there, New York, Chicago!”

Prokofiev came to Chicago the next year and was a little disappointed.

“I anticipated being bowled over by Chicago’s overwhelming energy and mobility, and I did feel something of this,” he wrote. “But the city itself seemed somehow cramped and unattractive, with large tracts of soot-stained houses.”

It being 1918, he had a concern that might resonate today: “I am gripped with complete panic about Spanish influenza,” he wrote.

Chicago struggled to wrap its head around his music.

“Russian Genius Displays Weird Harmonies” ran a headline in the Chicago American.

“The music was of such savagery, so brutally barbaric,” Henriette Weber wrote in the Herald and Examiner, “that it seemed almost grotesque to see civilized men, in modern dress with modern instruments performing it. By the same token, it was big, sincere, true.”

“Big, sincere, true” goes down well in Chicago. The day after Prokofiev’s music was first performed here, the director of the Chicago Opera wondered if Prokofiev had anything in the works they might use. Prokofiev remembered, “a strangle little divertissement,” Liubov’ k trem apel’sinam — “The Love for Three Oranges” — and got busy on it: after the requisite squabbling over fees, of course.

Finishing took a few years. On the ship back to the United States in 1921, Prokofiev found himself desperately trying to acquaint himself with what he had created.

“I have to do some cramming to learn my own orchestral score,” he wrote in a letter. “I didn’t count on this, and wrote something terribly difficult; now i have to pay in time and tears.”

Chicago Daily News star columnist Ben Hecht attended the opera’s dress rehearsal. I will resist the urge to just reprint his entire column while I sit cross-legged at the feet of the master, head bowed in humility.

Hecht begins, using the spelling for the composer’s name popular at the time:

“They will never start. No, they will never start. In another two minutes Mr. Prokofieff will go mad. They should have started at 11. It is now ten minutes after 11. And they have not yet started. Ah, Mr. Prokofieff has gone mad.

“But Mr. Prokofieff is a modernist; so nobody pays much attention. Musicians are all mad. And a modernist musician, du liber Gott! A Russian modernist musician!!”

And the music?

“As if someone had given us a musical lollypop to suck and run in our hair,” Hecht wrote before elaborating:

“Music like this has never come from the orchestra pit of the Auditorium. Strange combinations of sounds that seem to come from street pianos, New Year’s eve horns, harmonicas and old-fashioned musical beer steins that play when you life them up. Mr. Prokofieff waves his shirt-sleeved arms and the sounds increase.

Hecht, about the same age as the composer, liked it.

“There is nothing difficult about this music — that is, unless you are unfortunate enough to be a music critic. But to the untutored ear there is a charming capriciousness about the sounds from the orchestra. Cadenzas pirouette in the treble. Largoes toboggan in the bass. It sounds like the picture of a crazy Christmas tree drawn by a happy child. Which is a most peculiar way for music to sound.”

Prokofiev himself conducted the orchestra. A few audience members walked out. Some critics were baffled.

“Mr. Prokofieff might as well have loaded up a shotgun with several thousand notes of varying lengths and discharged them against a blank wall.” Edward Moore wrote in the Tribune, under the headline, “”Color Marvel, but Enigmatic noise.”

Others got it.

“The wait was worth while,” Maurice Rosenfeld wrote in the Daily News. “A masterpiece … Prokofieff is a modern who has hewn out a path quite different and apart from that traveled by any opera composer … he has given us an entirely new and original creation.”

In early 1922, the opera came to New York, and Prokofiev’s estimation of the way his work was received will strike a chord with anyone who’s pondered the difference between audiences in the two cities.

“In Chicago, they did not understand everything, but still defended ‘our’ production,” Prokofiev wrote. While New York critics are “a pack of dogs let out from behind the gate to bite my trousers to shreds,” whose “competitive feelings toward Chicago were aroused” by his debuting there. New York, Prokofiev said, reacts with, “You want to show us something we didn’t think of putting on ourselves? So take that!”

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Writers Theatre on Tuesday announced the cancellation of several upcoming performances of “Dishwasher Dreams” due to a positive COVID test among the company.

The next scheduled performance will be Jan. 5.

Writers joins a growing list of Chicago-area theaters what have either canceled select performances or the remainder of shows’ run dates due to COVID exposure among cast and/or crew.

Ticketholders to the affected performances at Writers Theatre are being contacted via email or can contact the box office at (847) 242-6000.

The Goodman Theatre on Monday announced it was canceling all remaining performances of “A Christmas Carol.” The Joffrey Ballet last week announced it was canceling all of its remaining performances of “The Nutcracker.” In all instances, the cancelations were due to COVID protocols among cast and crew.

“The health and safety of our artists, staff and audience remain our highest priority,” a statement on the Writers Theatre website stated.

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The Bears did not fire Matt Nagy on Monday to take advantage of a new NFL rule that allows teams with coaching vacancies to interview candidates from other teams during the final two weeks of the regular season.

No big deal for the Bears. The “early-firing period” is overrated — with teams limited to two-hour virtual interviews. That’s a tough way to find a coach, especially for the Bears. They do the cloak-and-dagger, due-diligence searches for their big hires and come up with Mitch Trubisky and Matt Nagy. What are the odds they’ll find the right guy in a two-hour Zoom call?

The Bears need bigger changes than hiring a new coach. At the least, they need to push general manager Ryan Pace into a John Paxson role behind their Arturas Karnisovas, if they can find him. Pace has certifiable personnel chops, but has swung and missed too often on big moves. The Bears need a home run hitter in the clean-up spot.

So while the focus has been on Nagy’s status this week, it’s at the GM/President of Football Operations level where the Bears needed to make their early move, to get someone in place to get the lay of the land and find a new coach.

For what it’s worth, that’s how the Packers changed their fortunes in 1991, when they fired GM Tom Braatz and hired Ron Wolf with four weeks to go in the regular season. Wolf’s first game as GM was against the Falcons, where a pre-game chat with Falcons personnel chief Ken Herock alerted Wolf that rookie back-up quarterback Brett Favre was available.

Wolf, who had been enamored with Favre since he scouted him as the Jets’ director of player personnel, made the deal for Favre — and the rest is history. The Bears, who at the time were dominating the Packers, have been chasing their rival for the last 30 years.

Getting Favre was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but if the Bears are going to think big, the sooner the better. The problem, of course, is that at Halas Hall, they never think quite as big as they need to.

Not under McCaskey leadership, anyhow. When George Halas knew change was necessary, the Bears hired former Vikings GM Jim Finks early in the 1974 season and put him in charge of the entire operation. Finks hired Jack Pardee and drafted Walter Payton the following January, and the rest is history.

But therein lies the difference between the Halases and the McCaskeys. When George Halas went outside of the family for leadership, George “Mugs” Halas, Jr. hired Finks, a proven GM who had built the Vikings into a Super Bowl team from the ground up. When the McCaskeys went outside the family for leadership, they promoted Ted Phillips, an accountant and contract negotiator.

So it’s the same old story with the Bears, who have won four playoff games in 29 seasons since Michael McCaskey fired Mike Ditka and put the franchise totally in McCaskey family hands: It starts at the top.

2. Red Flag Dept.: Nick Foles’ winning performance against the Seahawks on Sunday — after not even knowing he was starting until Friday — continued an odd trend in Matt Nagy’s offense: Veteran quarterbacks who come in cold or with limited-to-no practice time are 5-1 with a 98.8 passer rating (nine touchdowns, one interception) in Nagy’s four seasons.

Previously, Chase Daniel in 2018 (106.8 vs. the Lions) and 2019 (101.4 vs. the Vikings), Foles in 2020 (three touchdowns vs. the Falcons) and Andy Dalton this season (317 passing yards vs. the Lions) were short-notice winners.

3. Nagy’s gamble to go for the win against the Seahawks with a two-point conversion with 1:01 left in regulation was only the second time the Bears have disdained a tying PAT to go for the win in the final minutes.

The only other time also was in a what-have-we-got-to-lose situation: In 1997, Dave Wannstedt’s Bears were 0-6 but had a chance to end a seven-game losing streak to the Packers after a touchdown with 1:54 left closed the deficit to 24-23 at Soldier Field. But Erik Kramer’s swing pass to Raymont Harris was high and wide for an incompletion.

4. With the 25-24 victory over the Seahawks, the Bears are 4-21 (.160) when allowing 24 or more points in four seasons under Nagy. The only teams with a worse winning percentage in that span when allowing 24 or more points are Washington (2-29, .065) and the Jaguars (1-38, .026).

5. The Bears sacked Russell Wilson twice, but they had no takeaways for the fifth time in the last eight games.

The Bears lead the NFL in sacks per pass play but have just 11 takeaways this season. Over the previous 10 seasons, the league leader in sacks has averaged 26.7 takeaways, with none lower than 20 (the 2018 Vikings).

6. Maybe Justin Fields should just sit out the final two games and wait for a new offense he figures to be playing in next season. This offense doesn’t seem very rookie friendly. And while most rookie quarterbacks struggle in the NFL, Fields has struggled more than most.

Of the 19 rookie quarterbacks since 2017 to start eight or more games, Fields’ 73.2 passer rating ranks 14th. His 58.9% completions ranks 13th. His 155.8 yards per game ranks 19th. Even third-round pick Davis Mills seems to be making steadier progress, with ratings of 93.2, 92.2 and 130.6 in his last three starts.

7. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman played just 18 snaps against the Seahawks and was shut out on the stat sheet. And while statistics generally don’t quantify Goldman’s impact, by the eye test he’s having a tough comeback season after opting out of last season. Even line coach Chris Rumph acknowledged that.

“It’s been a slow year. It hasn’t been his year,” Rumph said. “It’s almost like a rookie year or second year for him trying to get back in the groove of things.”

Rumph said he is confident Goldman — a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019 — can get back to where he was. But it’s going to take some work.

“No doubt,” Rumph said. “It’s going to be a very important offseason for him to get his body right, his mind right and be the dominant guy he’s capable of being.”

8. Robert Quinn needs just one sack in the final two games to eclipse Richard Dent’s franchise record of 17.5 sacks in a season. And Quinn did not play against the Buccaneers while on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so he will play a maximum of 16 games.

Quinn has had at least a share of a sack in 12 of his 14 games — at least one in the last seven games — with no cheapies.

But 37 years later, it’s hard to explain what a revelation and force of nature Dent was in 1984, his second NFL season after being an eighth-round draft pick. Dent started the 1984 season as a backup behind Tyrone Keys — with one sack in six games.

He became a starter in Week 7 and had 16.5 sacks in the final 10 games. Then he had three more sacks in an upset of the Redskins in the playoffs — and three more in the Pro Bowl. So he had 22.5 sacks in his final 12 games that season. And he was just getting started.

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Jets kicker Eddy Pineiro kicked field goals of 42 and 20 yards in a 26-21 victory over the Jaguars. Pineiro is 6-for-6 on field goals in three games with the Jets.

10. Bear-ometer: 6-11 — vs. Giants (W); at Vikings (L).

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After first signing with Puma in 2018 to help relaunch its basketball category, Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has landed a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal to continue his partnership with the brand.

“It’s pretty lit. It’s truly a blessing as well,” Ayton said. “The reason I signed with Puma from the beginning, is I wanted to be different.”

The new deal, negotiated by agent Nima Namakian of Innovate Sports Group, is expected to place Ayton among the league’s top-three highest paid athletic brand endorsers at the center position. Puma has been finding its footing in the hoop space after a nearly two-decade hiatus from landing any NBA endorsers, and Ayton has long had an affinity and familiarity with the company.

“Growing up in the Bahamas, the first brand really that I wore was Puma. That’s all we saw was Puma,” he said. “A guy like Usain Bolt, who I looked up to as a star of the Caribbean and the face of the Caribbean when it comes to sports, that’s the only thing that he was repping. Puma was everywhere.”

In the past three years, the former No. 1 pick has continued to make strides with the brand on and off the court, after initially helping to headline a marketing splash in the week leading up to the 2018 draft that saw five first-round picks sign with Puma.

Ayton made a splash when he first signed with Puma in 2018. Courtesy of Puma

“We wanted to be disruptive — putting our brand back in the mix after several years — with the strategy to sign top draft picks who were not only elite athletes, but also fit well with our brand’s goal of merging sports with culture,” said Adam Petrick, PUMA global director of brand & marketing. “Deandre was a big part of our plan. He checked all the boxes for us then and now as Puma Hoops continues to grow … we are truly excited to continue to have Deandre as part of our Puma family.”

Ayton has continued to familiarize himself with the footwear industry, leaning into the feedback process along the way and looking to create custom sneakers to share his story and highlight those around him.

“One thing is you want to listen and have a good relationship with the people you work with,” he said. “Also, just know what you want. Learn about your brand. Learn about the things you like. Know the name of the shoes, and know the history behind the shoes.”

While he’ll continue to headline Puma’s latest hoop models like the Court Rider and RS Dreamer line on the court, a key component of Ayton’s new Puma extension will be designating a sizable budget allotment for community activations and giveback events.

“We’re a giving family. Growing up, you’re not coming to my house without leaving with a full belly,” Ayton said with a smile.

First came the “RS-X Deandre,” a sneaker with colors drafting off of the sandy beaches of the Bahamas that raised money to benefit his homeland in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. In a full-circle moment, he gifted the first pair to Bolt. Over the summer, Ayton laced the entire Suns staff with Pumas.

He recently took a family of six on a Puma store shopping spree in New York, with he and his mother, Andrea, also mapping out future giveback events in Phoenix, the Bahamas, and additional regions of the Caribbean and Africa.

“She’s been teaming up with Puma and sharing her ideas for how she can give back,” he said. “Seeing that, I remember how we grew up. I grew up off of second-hand clothes, and for us to be in a position to help families and put smiles on their faces, it’s like a dream I never thought would’ve came true.”

Whether it was the shopping spree in New York, or recent food donations during the holiday season, the Aytons have been looking to make their mark.

“Every family that I’ve met, everyone left with a smile on their face,” he said. “The results and the letters that I get left at the facility after these events, is insane. Even my mom gets fan letters.”

Ayton’s custom Puma Court Rider Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

So far this season, Ayton has primarily worn a custom pair of Court Riders in Suns colors, featuring his “DA” logo atop the toe and his “DOMINAYTON” nickname along the heel.

“Being able to see your own logo on the shoe you wear, there’s some pride behind that,” he said. “It just makes you want to play harder, play better, and it’s your shoe. It’s some motivation to not stop the hard work, and to create more things.”

Now in Puma’s fourth NBA season back in the game, Ayton is joined on a balanced Puma roster by LaMelo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, RJ Barrett and more than a dozen others. The company also has a quartet of WNBA stars, leading to the recent launch of its Puma Women’s Basketball collection.

“That’s super lit,” Ayton said. “Everyone deserves a chance to just express their imagination. Seeing stuff like that and on a platform like Puma, it was lit to see. It’s motivation as well at the same time, because I want to show my imagination and what I’ve got as well, so a huge congrats to them.”

In order to continue expanding his visibility with the brand, he outlines goals of becoming an All-Star, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and a two-way anchor of the contending Suns as keys. After a playoff run this past summer that saw him earn his first trip to the NBA Finals, Ayton and his family got onto The Puma Jet, the company’s exclusive private plane for athletes, for a vacation back home in the Bahamas.

“Man, I felt like a trendsetter a little bit. Being in that position and repping our brand, knowing that I’m a part of it [from the beginning], it meant something,” he said. “I felt like I’m the one that can lead the pack. There was definitely some pride behind it, and we’re going to be in a good place, because I’m a winner.”

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After first signing with Puma in 2018 to help relaunch its basketball category, Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton has landed a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal to continue his partnership with the brand.

“It’s pretty lit. It’s truly a blessing as well,” Ayton said. “The reason I signed with Puma from the beginning, is I wanted to be different.”

The new deal, negotiated by Innovate Sports Group, is expected to place Ayton among the league’s top-three highest paid athletic brand endorsers at the center position. Puma has been finding its footing in the hoop space after a nearly two-decade hiatus from landing any NBA endorsers, and Ayton has long had an affinity and familiarity with the company.

“Growing up in the Bahamas, the first brand really that I wore was Puma. That’s all we saw was Puma,” he said. “A guy like Usain Bolt, who I looked up to as a star of the Caribbean and the face of the Caribbean when it comes to sports, that’s the only thing that he was repping. Puma was everywhere.”

In the past three years, the former No. 1 pick has continued to make strides on and off the court with the brand, after initially helping to headline a marketing splash in the week leading up to the 2018 draft that saw five first-round picks sign with Puma.

Ayton made a splash when he first signed with Puma in 2018. Courtesy of Puma

“We wanted to be disruptive — putting our brand back in the mix after several years — with the strategy to sign top draft picks who were not only elite athletes, but also fit well with our brand’s goal of merging sports with culture,” said Adam Petrick, PUMA global director of brand & marketing. “Deandre was a big part of our plan. He checked all the boxes for us then and now as Puma Hoops continues to grow … we are truly excited to continue to have Deandre as part of our Puma family.”

Ayton has continued to familiarize himself with the footwear industry, leaning into the feedback process along the way and looking to create custom sneakers to share his story and highlight those around him.

“One thing is you want to listen and have a good relationship with the people you work with,” he said. “Also, just know what you want. Learn about your brand. Learn about the things you like. Know the name of the shoes, and know the history behind the shoes.”

While he’ll continue to headline Puma’s latest hoop models like the Court Rider and RS Dreamer line on the court, a key component of Ayton’s new Puma extension will be designating a sizable budget allotment for community activations and giveback events.

“We’re a giving family. Growing up, you’re not coming to my house without leaving with a full belly,” Ayton said with a smile.

First came the “RS-X Deandre,” a sneaker with colors drafting off of the sandy beaches of the Bahamas that raised money to benefit his homeland in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. In a full-circle moment, he gifted the first pair to Bolt. Over the summer, Ayton laced the entire Suns staff with pairs of Pumas.

He recently took a family of six on a Puma store shopping spree while in New York, with he and his mother Andrea also mapping out future giveback events ahead in Phoenix, the Bahamas, and additional regions of the Caribbean and Africa.

“She’s been teaming up with Puma and sharing her ideas for how she can give back,” he said. “Seeing that, I remember how we grew up. I grew up off of second-hand clothes, and for us to be in a position to help families and put smiles on their faces, it’s like a dream I never thought would’ve came true.”

Whether it was the shopping spree in New York, or recent food donations during the holiday season, the Aytons have been looking to make their mark.

“Every family that I’ve met, everyone left with a smile on their face,” he said. “The results and the letters that I get left at the facility after these events, is insane. Even my mom gets fan letters.”

Ayton’s custom Puma Court Rider Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

So far this season, Ayton has primarily worn a custom pair of Court Riders in Suns colors, featuring his “DA” logo atop the toe and his “DOMINAYTON” nickname along the heel.

“Being able to see your own logo on the shoe you wear, there’s some pride behind that,” he said. “It just makes you want to play harder, play better, and it’s your shoe. It’s some motivation to not stop the hard work, and to create more things.”

Now in Puma’s fourth NBA season back in the game, Ayton is joined on a balanced Puma roster by LaMelo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, RJ Barrett and more than a dozen others. The company also features a quartet of WNBA stars, leading to the recent launch of its first Puma Women’s Basketball collection.

“That’s super lit,” Ayton said. “Everyone deserves a chance to just express their imagination. Seeing stuff like that and on a platform like Puma, it was lit to see. It’s motivation as well at the same time, because I want to show my imagination and what I’ve got as well, so a huge congrats to them.”

In order to continue expanding his visibility with the brand, he outlines goals of becoming an All-Star, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and a two-way anchor of the contending Suns as keys. After a playoff run this past summer that saw him earn his first trip to the NBA Finals, Ayton and his family loaded onto The Puma Jet, the company’s exclusive private plane for athletes, for a vacation back home to the Bahamas.

“Man, I felt like a trendsetter a little bit. Being in that position and repping our brand, knowing that I’m a part of it [from the beginning], it meant something,” he said. “I felt like I’m the one that can lead the pack. There was definitely some pride behind it, and we’re going to be in a good place, because I’m a winner.”

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