Puma has brought on a new addition to its expansive roster of young, talented athletes.

On Sept. 8, ESPN broke the news that basketball star and rapper Flau’jae Johnson inked a shoe deal with PUMA Hoops ahead of her freshman season at Louisiana State University (LSU).

 

Flau'jae Johnson Reacts To Signing Her Shoe Deal

“Man what, where I come from this is unheard of,” the 18-year-old wrote in an Instagram post. “This just what hard work look like. Puma deal at 18 who doin that? This just the beginning. I’m so blessed. Watch what’s next.”

Joining The Puma Roster

Johnson joins the likes of LaMelo Ball, Breanna Stewart, Deandre Ayton, Jackie Young, NaLyssa Smith, Scoot Henderson, and more.

Background On The Basketball Star

Johnson was a four-star prospect rated as the No. 6 guard in the country by ESPN, according to Nola.com. What’s more, the top high school basketball recruit was a McDonald’s All-American.

Johnson is set to start her debut college season in the fall. 

Signing With Puma Over Nike

The deal has been noted as “an interesting development” being that the LSU women’s basketball program currently has a contract with Nike, according to Nola.com.

In an interview with B/R Kicks, the Savannah, GA, teen shared that one of the reasons she decided to partner with Puma was because they invest in women’s sports.

Connections In The Rap Game

Along with being a stellar hooper, the two-way star is a rapper, who snagged a distribution deal with Roc Nation.

It appears that Jay-Z isn’t the only rapper that Johnson is in close proximity to. Her late father was known as Camoflauge, a rapper who was close friends with Master P, Birdman, and Boosie Badazz. The three rappers recognized Flau’jae’s talent early on, according to Savannahnow.

She and Boosie share a close bond as he calls her his “niece.” 

Her Commitment To LSU

He even featured in her video for “All Falls Down,” alongside MikeWiLLMadeIt.