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by Brandon Richard
Over the years, adidas' efforts in basketball have yielded mixed results. By the brand's own admission, they've played things too safe, particularly in terms of design and aesthetic. The good news is that they recognize change is needed, and according to Head of Global Basketball Chris Grancio, it may be happening sooner than you think.i
Grancio detailed new plans for adidas Basketball in a recent interview with Matthew Kish of the Portland Business Journal. In the piece, he predicts a more "polarizing" future in the category, pushing for strong reactions in either direction as opposed to the indifference adidas Basketball products are typically met with.
"We use the word polarizing through the lens of an ambition to kill indifference," said Grancio. There are a lot of people who don’t think about us as a basketball brand. We're intentionally pushing the envelope to look different. We want to be a brand that is talked about. We know that won't always be good."
The attempt to turn things around in basketball doesn't end with design. A new team of executives have been put in place for the overhaul, including Vice President of Basketball Product Rebecca Jury, who previously worked in the Originals category, and Head of Basketball Footwear Aaron Miller, formerly of Nike and Under Armour. Hoping to help the brand reconnect with customers, Global Design Director Paul Gaudio also moved from Germany to Portland.
"The last time we spoke, we talked about our decision to divest of the NBA and what we had planned to do," said Grancio. "It’s been a fantastic six months. We recruited a new head of basketball product. We brought in a new director for basketball footwear. We reimagined the way we're talking about our footwear business through the lens of the consumer. We're going to be more focused than ever on building the best performance product in the world and building a much more polarizing brand. We're excited about that. We're starting to see the new product direction and new design efforts come together to create some fantastic work."
For more of adidas' plans on the future, including a rough timeline on James Harden's first signature shoe, check out Grancio's full interview with the Portland Business Journal.
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