While the 2018 NBA Draft marked Puma’s official return to the performance basketball market after two decades — signing five of the top 16 picks with Jay-Z as the creative director of its basketball division — its hopes might be even higher for tonight’s event.

The company could have another top pick in LaMelo Ball, arguably the most recognizable name in this year’s draft. In October, LaMelo became the first of the infamous Ball brother trio to sign outside of their father’s Big Baller Brand, saying that the German company could “bring [his] creative vision to life.” 

Puma also dropped a LaMelo Ball signature clothing line under the campaign “1 of 1” ahead of the draft. 

Puma’s Top Current Basketball Signees:

• Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton
• Free agent center DeMarcus Cousins
• Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma
• Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. 
• Phoenix Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith

Upstart professional cricket league Major League Cricket has received approval to redevelop AirHogs Stadium in Grand Prairie, Texas as its first major cricket stadium in the United States. 

Redevelopment is scheduled to take place throughout 2021 before the stadium hosts a planned Texas MLC franchise and becomes a base for the USA Cricket National Team and High Performance Center. The league could look to develop other vacated minor league stadiums in major markets as it expands operations.

MLC is set to launch with six franchises from across the U.S. in 2022 with the intent of growing the world’s second-most popular sport stateside.

Cricket In The U.S.:

• Estimated 150,000 regular players
• 20 million fans
• More than 4 million regular viewers

MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is the latest big name to join the star-studded Seattle Sounders ownership group that already includes Russell Wilson, Ciara and Macklemore.

The decision to buy into the Sounders was led by his wife Melissa, who is a die-hard Sounders fan. Griffey himself has a connection with the club as well, leading the Sounders crowd at MLS Cup 2019 in a pre-game celebration to mark the 10-year anniversary of when he returned to the Mariners.

Other Athletes Invested in MLS:

• David Beckham (Inter Miami CF)
• Kevin Durant (Philadelphia Union)
• James Harden (Houston Dynamo FC)