Caitlin Clark fans warn Nike as Tyrese Haliburton's $3.67B shoe sponsor engages with Fever star: "They are stealing your girl Nike"

Caitlin Clark celebrated her good friend Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner in Thursday's NBA Finals Game 1 between the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder. Like everyone else, the Indiana Fever star was in disbelief as Haliburton hit his fourth go-ahead or game-tying shot of the 2025 playoffs. He led Indiana to an improbable 111-110 win despite trailing by 15 points with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Clark shouted out her fellow point guard from Indiana on X, saying:

As reactions to the Fever star's post poured in, Haliburton's shoe sponsors, the $3.67 billion worth Puma (per CompaniesMarketCap), also engaged with Clark, retweeting her shoutout.

Here's what the German company wrote:

The response from Puma had Clark's fans' attention as many begged the brand to snatch her from Nike amid its delay in releasing her shoe. Clark signed a mammoth eight-year deal with Puma's rivals, reportedly worth $28 million, in April 2024.

However, in that span, Nike has released a shoe for A'ja Wilson and Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers' player edition sneakers. Clark's fans have taken issue with these incidents in the past, and the longer her signature shoe is delayed, the more riled up her fan base has seemingly become.

After Puma's comment stirred the pot, her fans called out Nike on X with a slew of reactions. Here are some of the top comments:

Puma never entered the bidding war for Caitlin Clark

As Caitlin Clark prepared to turn pro, the Fever star drew significant attention from all brands as one of the most popular sports athletes in the U.S. Clark eventually signed with Nike for an eight-year, $28 million contract. The Wall Street Journal and The Athletic reported in April 2024 that Adidas and Under Armour also spoke with Clark in February.

Puma was interested. However, once it learned the bidding started around the $3 million mark, the brand never entered negotiations. Under Armour had the next best offer at four years, $16 million, and Adidas offered $6 million for four years.

While Caitlin Clark stayed with Nike, she has received player-exclusive colorways from Kobe Bryant's sneaker line.

About the author

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton and Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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Edited by Arhaan Raje