Ogugua Anunoby is a reserved character whose personality doesn’t necessarily lend itself to superstardom. But after NBA Championship glory with the New York Knicks, that’s exactly what he is.
Anunoby starred in Game 4, scoring 33 and making the now-iconic block on De’Aaron Fox with seconds remaining. In Game 5, the limelight belonged to MVP Jalen Brunson, who ensured that every player goes down in Knicks folklore by delivering a 94-90 win and 4-1 series victory over San Antonio Spurs.
Away from the hardwood, the forward has the chance to leverage his championship ring for commercial success.
Anunoby, of course, is now universally known as ‘OG’, a truncation of his first name.
It is those two letters which adorn his Skechers sneakers, too. And it could be those two letters which open new doors for the 28-year-old financially.
As relayed by Sportico, Anunoby filed a trademark application for a logo built around those initials several months before the Knicks’ title run reached its conclusion
CAA, who act as Anunoby’s representatives, described it as “general brand protection” last month, the kind of housekeeping which professional athletes routinely use to protect their image from opportunist trademarkers. But his defining role in the Finals could change that.
The application was approved on 28 May and should be confirmed by 23 June, which will trigger a 30-day window during which the public can – in theory – oppose the registration. If Anunoby and his team get approval, they will be able to use the OG brand to sell t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers and more.
The sneaker question is particularly interesting.
Anunoby is the first player to wear Skechers in the NBA Finals, sporting a player-exclusive blue-and-orange pair with ‘OG’ branding.
Whether a public release follows, let alone a full signature shoe, remains uncertain. If Skechers did take that path, Anunoby would become only the 28th player in the NBA to have his own bespoke sneaker.
