Online sneaker marketplace Goat is teaming up with NBA rookie Rui Hachimura, hoping his popularity in his native Japan will help the company make inroads in one of its biggest growth areas.
Asia is quickly becoming the dominant region in luxury fashion and streetwear. After launching in China last year, Goat is prioritizing growth across the rest of Asia in 2020, and Japan tops that list, given its outsized influence on sneaker culture and design.
To reach its goals, the company wants ambassadors who resonate in Asia. Hachimura, who plays for the Washington Wizards, was the only Japan-born player on an opening-day NBA roster. He's followed closely in Japan, and he'll anchor the country's Olympic basketball team when it competes on home soil during the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.