Damian Lillard will be the platform's investor and face of the brand. The partnership began with a community-focused visual campaign and in-app digital experience.

KICKS CREW, the leading digital platform for authentic sneakers and apparel, announced today its partnership with NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, with the Portland Trail Blazers point guard as the platform's equity investor and first CREW Athlete.

This also marks Lillard's first-ever tech startup investment and was a result of the partner's aligned mission to put the sneaker community – or the CREW – first, by making sneaker culture more accessible to everyone.

The partnership launched with a campaign that documents the partners' first community initiative in Damian's hometown of Oakland, CA and is accompanied with an app digital experience consisting of curated sneaker edits by Lillard, limited sneaker drops and giveaways.

"I invested in KICKS CREW because of the platform's unique point of view on sneaker culture. Putting accessibility and community first, they're building a space that allows everyone to experience sneaker culture," said Lillard. "They put in the work to provide an authentic and seamless experience for their CREW, and the fact that you can find so many styles at your fingertips made me want to introduce the brand to my friends and fans. I'm excited to be a part of the CREW and bring the sneaker community together."

"Damian is an iconic athlete, having made unforgettable contributions to the sport of basketball all while staying true to his community. We're excited to welcome him to the CREW as we build and serve our global community," said Ross Adrian Yip, Co-Founder and COO of KICKS CREW. "Damian is an active investor, we've been bouncing off ideas around what we can do for the sneaker community. It was obvious that Damian is passionate about this space and the perfect partner for us as he embodies what our brand stands for – by staying true to ourselves and our CREW."

The KICKS CREW X DAMIAN LILLARD visual campaign and digital experience will launch exclusively on THE CREW App and website on October 20th.

ABOUT KICKS CREW

KICKS CREW is a digital community and marketplace for authentic sneakers and style. Launched in 2021, the platform has over 400,000 unique styles from latest releases, hype kicks, everyday to athletic footwear including running, basketball, soccer and more. Established as one of the most trusted platforms globally, KICKS CREW works with retailers and brands around the world to ensure products are 100% guaranteed authentic, 100% of the time.

ABOUT DAMIAN LILLARD

Damian Lillard was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He earned the 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year Award becoming one of only five players in NBA history to win the coveted award unanimously. Lillard is a six-time NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA awardee. In recognition of the NBA's 75th anniversary, Lillard was named to the Top 75 greatest players in league history. He won a gold medal with the USA Men's National Basketball Team in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He is the recipient of the prestigious J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for the 2018-19 season and the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award for the 2020-21 campaign.  Lillard has received the NBA Cares Community Assist Award three times in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and ongoing advocacy and charitable work.