Shoe Deal for 'Warrior' Jeremy Lin?

Shoe contracts are typically reserved for just the top few picks in a NBA draft every June. Former Harvard co-captain Jeremy Lin may not have been a top pick—but then again, Lin has never been one to stick with tradition.

Since news leaked Tuesday night that Lin would sign with the NBA's Golden State Warriors, Lin has been approached with a number of endorsement opportunities, including a shoe deal, his agent Roger Montgomery told The Crimson today.

When Lin signs with the Warriors on Wednesday at 11 a.m. PST in Oakland, Calif., he will become just the fourth Asian American to sign an NBA contract—making him the perfect marketing opportunity with the strong Asian American community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I think he’s going to shore up our backcourt—that’s for sure,” said Robert Rowell, president of the Warriors. “I also think the signing is going to be great for the Bay Area market. I think he is going to be a lightning rod… We have a very large fan contingent that will be excited to have Jeremy on our team.”

When the Warriors release jerseys with their new logo on Oct. 1, Lin’s are expected to sell like hot cakes.

“He’s going to get them off the rack pretty quickly,” Montgomery said. “I know they’re going to be hot.”

Rowell expects Lin merchandise to be available within the next 30 days.

“As we go through the course of the season, we’re going to create a sub set of our brand with Jeremy Lin,” Rowell said.

But despite Lin’s tremendous marketing potential, Rowell maintains that the Warriors’ decision to sign Lin was purely based on his talents on the court.

“We’re talent first,” Rowell said. “All basketball people think very highly of Jeremy’s skills. It’s just an added bonus on the business side.”