Projected No. 1 Pick in 2024 NBA Draft Joins Growing Klutch Athletics Roster
Los Angeles, CA and Boston, MA – November 13, 2023 – Klutch Athletics, the sportswear brand founded by Rich Paul and co-authored with New Balance, announced today the addition of University of Kentucky freshman guard Justin Edwards to its athlete roster. Justin becomes the brand’s first NIL athlete and first basketball player.
“It means so much to me to join Klutch Athletics and be the first college athlete and first basketball player on the roster,” Justin said. “I love the way the brand is blending performance with style, giving me something equally effective for training or relaxing. Joining Klutch Athletics and New Balance is such a unique opportunity, I can’t wait to get started!”
Justin, projected by numerous media outlets to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is a 6-8 freshman guard at the University of Kentucky who was a 2023 McDonald’s High School All-American and Co-MVP of the Iverson Classic averaging 17.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for nationally-ranked Imhotep Charter in Philadelphia. During his tenure there, he led Imhotep to back-to-back state titles.
“We’re thrilled to welcome an incredible talent like Justin to the Klutch Athletics roster,” Rich said. “I can’t think of a better fit to be our first college athlete and first basketball player. Not only does he have outstanding skills on the court, he’s also a young man of great character who cares about his community and embodies what it means to Be Klutch.”
Edwards joins NFL standouts Will Anderson Jr. (Houston Texans) and Chase Young (San Francisco 49ers) on the upstart brand’s growing athlete roster.
The Klutch Athletics by New Balance collection is available at select retail locations across North America and online at https://www.newbalance.com/klutch-athletics/. Suggested retail prices range from $40 for t-shirts to $120 for hoodies.
About Klutch Athletics
Klutch Athletics is a new sportswear brand founded by Rich Paul and co-authored with New Balance. The brand supports and serves all athletes throughout their athletic journey including youth, collegiate and professional sports. The launch collection for Klutch Athletics delivers high-quality training apparel meant to uplift and empower all athletes, regardless of gender or sport.
Introductory pieces in the Klutch Athletics apparel line deliver on the need for men’s, women’s and youth training apparel with style and functionality. The color inspiration comes from New Balance’s iconic greys, fading from the darkest to the lightest gray in the palette, delivering a compelling color narrative. The greys are complemented by a touch of green, representing where young athletes first fell in love with the game on their field of play.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA, has the following purpose: Independent since 1906, we empower people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. Manufactured in the U.S. for more than 75 years and representing a limited portion of our U.S. sales, New Balance MADE U.S. is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs 8,000 associates around the globe, and in 2022 reported worldwide sales of $5.3 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com and for the latest press information please visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.
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