From our friends at Above the Rim:
Englewood, CO – June 23, 2011 – Performance basketball brand Above the Rim® (ATR) announced today its endorsement deal with streetball legend Corey “Homicide” Williams. Under the terms of the deal, Williams will endorse ATR footwear and apparel and serve as an active brand ambassador, assisting in ATR’s grassroots marketing programs. He will also participate in the brand’s photo shoot later this month and be featured in a series of brand videos.
“Corey’s passion and dedication to the game of basketball is an inspiration to young rising players across the country,” said Bruce Pettet, President and CEO at Collective Licensing, LLC (CLI), the company that manages the ATR brand. “His story exhibits the kind of dedication that defines the essence of the ATR Brand. And his authentic personality makes him an ideal ambassador to support ATR’s summer programming of youth basketball clinics and tournaments.”
Born and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., Williams began his college career at Penn Valley Community College in Missouri where he led the team to a Junior College National Championship. He completed his college career at Alabama State Universitywhere he averaged nearly 13 points a game for the Division I school. After his college exit, Williams started making a name for himself on the streetball courts of New York City, dominating pickup games and tournaments at Dyckman Park in Manhattan and Rucker Park in Harlem. With his ability to score and make plays from everywhere on the court, Williams quickly became one of streetball’s most well-known and respected players. In a well-documented game in 2006, Williams scored 25 points against a team led by one of the NBA’s top players at that time. With numerous legendary performances over the years and his ability to “kill” everyone who stepped on the court, Williams earned the nickname “Homicide” – streetball’s most dangerous player.
Williams’ play on the courts of New York has turned the heads of several pro scouts. Williams’ has played in eight overseas leagues including Brazil, France, Venezuela and Germany. He also attended NBA training camps in Toronto, Denver andIndiana. In 2008, Williams signed with the Townsville Crocodiles in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top guards, being selected to the All NBL Second team in his debut season. In 2009 and 2010, Williams was selected to the All NBL First team and was voted the league’s 2010 Most Valuable Player. This past season, Williams played for the four-time NBL league champions Melbourne Tigers where Williams led the league in assists per game (6.1) and was fifth in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game. He was also selected to the All NBL Second Team.
“I’m excited to join the ATR family and help share the brand’s inspirational Rise message to young athletes this summer,” Williams said. “ATR has such a great commitment to helping youths succeed on and off the court, and I am honored to be a part of that continued effort.”
Originally founded in 1989, Above the Rim was re-launched by CLI in late October 2010 as an aspirational and accessible brand of performance basketball footwear and apparel. Targeting passionate, young, rising players, ATR is defined by its brand message: Elevate Your Game. Elevate Your Team. Elevate Yourself. Above The Rim. ™ The foundation of the brand is ATR’s grassroots program designed to support and impact communities on a local level. Additionally, ATR is committed to supporting its roster of rising NBA players including Martell Webster of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Will Bynum of the Detroit Pistons.
About Collective Licensing International
Collective Licensing International, LLC, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE:PSS), was formed in January 2004 and is the owner and/or license operator of Airwalk®, Above The Rim®, Vision Street Wear®, Clinch Gear™, STRIKEFORCE™, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships™ and Hind®. Collective Licensing International is based in Englewood, Colorado. www.collectiveintl.com
Above Collective Brands
Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk®, Dexter®, Champion®, Zoe & Zac™, the first-ever affordable green footwear brand, and designer collections by fashion designers Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi; Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality children’s footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite®, Keds®, Sperry Top-Sider® Robeez®, and Saucony®, among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk®, Above The Rim®, Vision Street Wear®, STRIKEFORCE™, Clinch Gear™, Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships™ and Hind®. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand’s units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.
