As he looks to expand his personal brand both on and off the court, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has signed a five-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Puma.

The deal is expected to pay him north of $20 million over the life of the contract, with additional incentives that could escalate the total value even further, according to industry sources.

Kuzma is now one of the highest-earning players with the brand and a featured partner with the company, who will also be featured in brand campaigns, key product feedback sessions and have creative control over future collections.

"The No. 1 thing I was trying to look for was a little bit more control, a little bit more freedom to do certain things. Not to be restricted from an idea standpoint," said Kuzma. "Having a brand fully commit to me and see that I have visions, too -- that could work out well for the brand and me as well. Puma was that."

To celebrate the signing, Kuzma met with local Lakers fans at a Puma-branded taco cart along Fairfax Avenue, a district home to Los Angeles' longtime streetwear scene and many of the leading sports culture brand boutiques.

Billboards and out-of-home murals around town merged his "Kuz" nickname icon with the last two typeface letters of the brand's logo, highlighted by the Puma cat affixed atop. The 24-year-old handed out T-shirts featuring the same "Kuzma" hybrid graphic and took photos with more than 250 fans.

"The addition of Kyle to our expanding Hoops roster is a huge step for our brand," said Adam Petrick, Puma global director of brand and marketing.

After signing a two-year shoe deal with Nike as an unheralded rookie out of Utah, the negotiation window of his sneaker free agency this fall was well timed. The original Nike deal paid him a base of just $25,000 per year, which he far outpaced almost instantly. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team and simultaneously listed on the CHARGE group's 25-under-25 most marketable athletes across 48 sports.

This year, Kuzma's rising profile in marketing deals also ran parallel to the Lakers' reluctance to include him in the heavily-covered Anthony Davis trade, all at a time when he shifted his representation. In hiring the massive and well-established Creative Artists Agency for both on- and off-court representation, his longtime business manager Vin Sparacio also took on an elevated role in the shoe deals talks.

His newly hired team at CAA eventually negotiated what is expected to be one of the highest-earning veteran sneaker deals this fall, among a deep free-agent class. The third-year forward is set to earn more from Puma than the Lakers this season, a distinction that only Derrick Rose and Laker teammate Rajon Rondo share throughout the league.

"It kind of just speaks to the day and age we are in," he said. "I have the best of both worlds. Pretty talented on the basketball court, but people can really relate to me off the court. From my journey, who I am, and so many different things and the passions that I have -- people can relate to it."

In shoe deals, the incumbent brand will typically offer an initial extension contract in the spring or toward the end of July, with players allowed to begin taking pitches from competitor brands after Aug. 1. Most deals expire on Oct. 1, creating a 60-day window for ongoing negotiations to escalate.

With Kuzma participating in USA Basketball's training camp during the first week of August, the window made for a natural opportunity to meet with Nike executives during the early Swoosh-sponsored scrimmages and practices in Las Vegas.

Once a new agreement with Nike couldn't be met, Kuzma and his team headed to Boston for Puma's official presentation. They enjoyed the luxury of The Puma Jet, flying back-and-forth on the company's private ambassador plane from Los Angeles, in time for Kuzma to be back at USAB practices.

"I don't think any companies have that," he smiled.

Puma's key pitch messaging wasn't to simply sell him on what they could offer.

"That was the main thing -- the meeting was more about me," he said. "It was pretty much, 'What do you want to do?'"

The brand views him as a rising, expressive star on a star-laden roster expected to contend in the Western Conference, while also bringing market size and added visibility to its casual line through the growing attention paid to his arena entry fashion.

In moving on from Nike, the Laker forward will look to establish himself as a face of the brand, while giving up wearing any of his idol Kobe Bryant's longtime Swoosh signature sneakers.

"It was tough from the simple fact of how much I love Kobe. Everyone knows that I wear Kobe's shoes," he said. "It was tough, but at the end of the day, I have dreams and goals, and I imagine myself being at that type of level in this business."

Kuzma will be wearing Puma's new Clyde Hardwood sneaker in both retail and custom colorways to start the season, while working behind the scenes on a variety of future basketball and lifestyle sneakers and clothing.

The company has already partnered with emerging fashion and streetwear brands like Rhude and Chinatown Market for collaboration capsules, with Kuzma expected to be incorporated into the process and hands-on in creating future Puma fashion capsules with outside designers.

"What was huge for us was that Puma will allow Kuz to express his creativity on and off the court," said Sparacio.

One of the first themes Kuzma hopes to celebrate on his sneakers will be a tribute to late rap icon Nipsey Hussle, a Los Angeles native and Laker fan, also known for his small business empowerment and community efforts. Hussle had been a brand partner with Puma, with the company recently launching a co-branded collection with his Marathon Clothing store to benefit his ongoing foundation.

"Ever since that moment, trying to carry on that marathon and that type of symbolism, it kind of meant a lot to me," said Kuzma, who has a "TMC" flag tattoo on his arm. "I wanted to go to Puma, not only for everything that I've got going on, but to do some things within this community like Nip did."

Going forward, that creative input will be the hallmark element of Kuzma's new partnership with Puma.

"His performance on the court speaks for itself, but his personality and style off the court fits perfectly with our team," said Petrick. "He is tuned into the culture around the sport and we're excited to collaborate with him as we move into the upcoming NBA season."

HONOLULU -- Kawhi Leonard went through his first full-contact practice with the LA Clippers on Wednesday.

Head coach Doc Rivers said Leonard did full contact when he was on the floor for "probably half the live stuff."

"Kawhi practiced today," Rivers said at the University of Hawaii, where the Clippers are holding their training camp. "He was great."

Rivers even joked that Leonard looked so good he might start him in the Clippers' first preseason game Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. However, the team is playing things safe with him. Rivers had said at the start of camp that Leonard would probably be held out of the Clippers' two preseason games here in Hawaii against Houston and the Shanghai Sharks.

Leonard said earlier this week that his health and playing time will be managed differently this season compared with last season with the Toronto Raptors, who handled Leonard's load management and played him in 60 regular-season games last season. However, Leonard is keeping the big picture in mind with the Clippers.

"Taking it day by day, and just working things out, really," Leonard said. "Everything is going great right now. I just don't want to push it over the top or go on an uphill incline right now with this being my first three days."

Leonard said on the first day of camp that he feels much better than he did at this time last year entering camp with the Raptors, when he was coming off a quad injury. But the Clippers, who also are taking it slow with Paul George and his surgically repaired shoulders, are in no rush to push their star players.

"We all know what we're trying to do at the end of the year, what the expectations are for ourselves," Leonard said. "But right now like I said, just taking the training camp, trying to build for each other, just trying to jell as a team."

LOS ANGELES -- The Washington Nationals are getting their money's worth out of Stephen Strasburg this year.

Manager Davey Martinez said Wednesday that Strasburg, who came out of the bullpen to toss three shutout innings and earn the win in Washington's dramatic wild-card victory on Tuesday, is a possibility to start Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

"Obviously, Stephen threw the ball well yesterday for us," said Martinez of Strasburg, who struck out four and walked none while throwing 34 pitches in the wild-card game. "We have other options. So we'll see how it transpires over the next day. We would have to see.

"Obviously, it's going to be a quick turnaround. I would just want to give him a day to recoup. We just got off a flight, so want to see how he feels."

Strasburg, who's in the third year of a seven-year, $175 million contract, has been a workhorse for the Nationals this season. In 33 regular-season starts, he went 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA and led the NL with 209 innings pitched.

During Tuesday's 4-3 comeback win, he pitched in relief for the first time since 2007, when he was a freshman at San Diego State.

A former top overall pick in 2009, Strasburg has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Toward the end of his rookie year in 2010, he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed most of the 2011 season. In 2012, when the Nationals made the playoffs for the first time since moving to Washington, the team shut down its prized right-hander in September, hoping to protect his valuable right arm.

After starting Game 3 of the 2014 division series, Strasburg missed the 2016 playoffs with a flexor mass strain. In the 2017 NLDS, he made two starts against the Cubs and didn't allow an earned run.

Including his relief outing on Tuesday, Strasburg now has a 0.41 career ERA in the postseason.

If Strasburg is tapped to start Game 2 on Friday, he would then be available to return to the mound on normal rest for a potential Game 5 next Wednesday.

The Nationals, who will send lefty Patrick Corbin to the mound in the series opener on Thursday against Dodgers righty Walker Buehler, could also turn to veteran Anibal Sanchez for Game 2. In his first season with Washington, the 35-year-old right-hander went 11-8 with a 3.85 ERA.

In two starts against the Dodgers this season, Strasburg was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA. Sanchez also started twice against Los Angeles, going 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA.

INDIANAPOLIS – IndyCar held its first on-track test with the new Aeroscreen cockpit safety device at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, courtesy of series champions Scott Dixon and Will Power.

Red Bull Advanced Technologies began work on the IndyCar project in February of this year and the cockpit safety device will make its racing debut at the start of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season.

A rendered CAD image of the Aeroscreen was on display earlier this year at the Indianapolis 500 in May, but Wednesday was the first opportunity for the device to undergo rigorous track testing.

Dixon and Power, two of IndyCar’s most experienced drivers, conducted an eight-hour testing program on Indianapolis’ famed 2.5-mile high-speed oval, completing nearly 650 incident-free miles and leaving pleased with the results of the test.

Power ran 129 laps at a top speed of 224.591 mph, while Dixon completed 128 laps with a best of 224.501 mph.

“It’s been an intense project and one that I think a lot of people have done their due diligence on to get it to this point. This test was pretty much seamless,” Dixon said. “We went through a bunch of configurations for cooling and where we can push the air to control the helmet, how it feels and how much pressure you have there. Ultimately it’s just very quiet. I can hear my radio for a change. Normally I can’t hear that. It’s kind of nice.

“To have the first run in and really no major issues … the tear-offs are something they’re going to work on, how they fit and glare on the inside with what paint you put on and such, but the vision is fine,” Power noted. “There’s no problem doing a stint with bugs and such that get on the screen. It’s just little things that need to be worked on. I’m so happy that we have it. It’s really a huge step in safety.”

The Aeroscreen is a continuation of a previous Red Bull Advanced Technologies project conducted to develop a head protection system for Formula One. It features a titanium framework, similar to the Halo now used in F1, with a polycarbonate laminate screen.

The F-1 geometric prototype made its track debut during the first practice session of the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, fitted to the Red Bull RB12.

There are no carryover parts between the F1 project and the work for IndyCar, just the fundamental principles – the cockpit geometry and structural properties of the Dallara chassis used by IndyCar required an entirely-new approach – but the concept and intellectual property behind the research all stem from that initial study.

“The first on-track test was very positive today,” said Andy Damerum, Red Bull Advanced Technologies’ Commercial Development Officer. “The product is working well and the drivers have given excellent feedback, without experiencing any visibility issues. It has been a tight schedule from initial design to getting the Aeroscreen ready for on-track testing, and we are proud to be working with IndyCar to deliver the concept on time.

“We have a few further tests to complete, but so far the screen is providing the safety performance requested,” Damerum added. “The next step will be for IndyCar and Dallara to fine-tune the cockpit cooling, and a number of teams will complete on-track tests in the coming weeks before the screen makes its race debut in 2020.”

IndyCar President Jay Frye, who commissioned the Aeroscreen project, was equally pleased with the initial real-world results.

“We ran more than 100 laps and 250 miles of testing between the two cars this morning and we definitely checked a lot of boxes we needed to already,” explained Frye. “The foundation of the Aeroscreen is very sound and now we’re also working on the various accessories. It has been a hugely successful test thus far and we haven’t seen anything we didn’t anticipate. We had high expectations with this collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and their preparation and execution has been outstanding. They have left no stone unturned and will be proud of the final product.”

While F-1 has initially opted for the Halo system, the different demands of oval racing led IndyCar to prefer the Aeroscreen, adding protection against small object debris to the strength of the tubular framework, in a structure that also features sight lines more suitable for banked ovals.

Working closely with chassis manufacturer Dallara, Red Bull Advanced Technologies has designed the Aeroscreen to utilize IndyCar’s existing Advanced Frontal Protection spike as the forward mounting point, while also collaborating with the Italian firm to address issues such as helmet buffeting and cockpit cooling.

While next year’s car will be the first to race with the Aeroscreen, the system has also been created with the next generation of Dallara chassis firmly in mind.

“This is a fantastic project for Red Bull Advanced Technologies,” said Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner. “The company is building a reputation for excellence, utilizing the skillset and experience of Formula One engineering, together with a keen focus on rapid development and rigorous testing. There could be no better example of this than a safety-critical project demanding cutting-edge engineering technology, delivered into the pressure-cooker environment of IndyCar racing.”

CORONA, Calif. – Following Wednesday’s announcement of the future structure of the ARCA Menards Series, MAVTV has announced an extension of its partnership with ARCA.

MAVTV will broadcast the majority of the events on the tour’s 20-race national schedule for the next three seasons.

RELATED: ARCA To Feature Four Championships In 2020

The partnership between the ARCA Menards Series and MAVTV dates back more than a decade, when select races were aired during the 2008 season. The current agreement began three seasons ago, when MAVTV showcased its first live broadcasts of the ARCA Menards Series during the 2017 schedule.

Since then, MAVTV’s role has continued to grow as the primary broadcaster of the series, culminating with a 12-race slate of live races for the current season.

With the newly announced extension, MAVTV will continue to serve in that role through the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season, where it will showcase the bulk of the championship races via exclusive live broadcasts.

“The 2020 season will mark the fourth year MAVTV and ARCA have partnered to bring the majority of the ARCA Menards Series race schedule live to MAVTV,” said Robert Patison, President of the MAVTV Motorsports Network. “It’s great race action on some of the nation’s best-known tracks.”

“MAVTV has been a tremendous partner for the ARCA Menards Series and we are thrilled to extend that relationship three more years,” added ARCA president Ron Drager. “2020 marks the beginning of a new chapter for ARCA, and MAVTV’s commitment to the series helps us deliver great racing action to fans across the country, while also providing an outstanding platform for our race teams and sponsors.”

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Chevy’s first mid-engine GTLM race car – the Corvette C8.R – made its surprise debut alongside the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday evening.

The C8.R and Corvette Stingray represent a true technology transfer, taking lessons from the street straight to the track and vice versa.

“The C8.R is much more than just a race-tuned version of the 2020 Corvette Stingray. It’s a culmination of many years of testing and development between GM Design, Propulsion, Engineering and the Corvette Racing team,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “The collaboration between these teams has allowed us to take these vehicles’ performance to the next level, both on the street and the track.”

With its tremendous success on the track over the last 20 years, Corvette Racing has helped push the development, performance and popularity of Corvette’s top-line performance cars on race tracks across the world.

Since 1999, Corvette Racing has won 107 races – the most of any professional sports car team in North America – including 13 team championships and 12 driver and manufacturer titles.

In 2015, Corvette Racing became the first sports car team in 15 years to win endurance racing’s Triple Crown – the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans – in the same season.

The C8.R No. 4 car dons a new silver livery, inspired by the color of iconic Corvette concepts such as the 1973 Chevrolet Aerovette and the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer. This car also features yellow accents.

Complementing the No. 4 vehicle is the No. 3 car, which will feature a traditional yellow color scheme with silver accents that continues the lineage of the successful GTLM racing Corvettes of the past 20 years.

The C8.R will make its racing debut at Rolex 24 at Daytona in January of 2020.

John Tavares has been named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto unveiled Tavares' new "C" as part of the pregame introduction for the team's season opener Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators. Forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and defenseman Morgan Rielly were named alternate captains.

Tavares served as the New York Islanders' captain from 2013-2018 before signing with his hometown Maple Leafs in free agency last summer.

Tavares is the 25th captain in Maple Leafs history. The Leafs did not have a captain since Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Senators in February 2016. Before Phaneuf, Mats Sundin had the title for a decade (1997-98 to 2007-08).

Tavares, 29, scored 47 goals and 88 points -- both career-highs -- during his first season with the Leafs. Toronto has lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, including the past two at the hands of the Boston Bruins.

"It's hard to say if [being named a captain] will have an effect on the ice, but there's obviously a special significance with the Maple Leafs, the city, the franchise with the captain," Tavares told reporters last week. "It's obviously been an important role in hockey history and with many franchises. Many great captains, great leaders."

Toronto has not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, and fans are getting antsy. There are tremendous expectations for this year's team -- especially with more than $33 million in cap space dedicated to Tavares, Matthews and Marner, three of the NHL's most elite forwards.

The Canucks, Senators, Red Wings and Golden Knights are now the only NHL teams who do not currently have a captain.

ST. LOUIS -- After a 51-season wait, the Blues raised the banner for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history Wednesday. And then they played "Gloria" one more time.

The ceremony preceded St. Louis' season opener against the Washington Capitals, who won their first Stanley Cup one year earlier.

Captain Alex Pietrangelo, the first Blues player to hoist the Cup after they won, again held it, leading the team in a lap around the rink after player introductions.

The arena then blasted "Gloria" by Laura Branigan as the banner was lifted to the rafters, an ode to the team's post-win anthem throughout last season's playoffs. Blues players have said they will retire "Gloria" as their theme song this season.

The Blues were unlikely winners after falling to last place in the NHL standings on Jan. 2 with a 15-18-4 record. St. Louis became the first team from the NHL, NBA, NFL or MLB to win a title after occupying last place in the standings after one quarter or more of the season.

The Blues' wait for their first Cup -- 51 seasons, 4,046 regular-season games, 4,437 total games -- was the longest in NHL history for a team to win its first championship. The Blues also accumulated the most postseason appearances (42), series (72) and games (391) for an NHL team before it won its first Cup.

St. Louis fired coach Mike Yeo on Nov. 20 and named Craig Berube the interim coach; after winning the Cup and being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, Berube received a three-year contract extension from the Blues this summer.

Before Wednesday's game, Berube was asked what he would be thinking about during the banner raising ceremony. "Just the game," the matter-of-fact Berube said. "That's it."

"We talked to our players that you just got to keep everything in check and narrow your focus," Berube added. "It's a great thing, obviously, the banner raising, but when that's done you gotta turn the switch on and play. And not try to do too much too early. I think it's important to do your job and play a simple game."

The Blues rallied last season behind a supportive city, but also found inspiration from an 11-year-old fan, Laila Anderson, who has a life-threatening autoimmune disease.

On Tuesday, Blues players Alexander Steen and Colton Parayko surprised Anderson with a championship ring. In a video captured by the Blues that has since gone viral, Steen and Parayko arrived at Anderson's house with the gift. Anderson was nearly speechless when she received the ring, repeatedly saying: "Oh my god. Oh my god."

"She's been a big part of our group for a long time now," Steen said Wednesday. "She truly does inspire us and continues to inspire us. It was special to be able to be the guys to go to her house and give her the ring."

"Laila" is inscribed in each of the rings, as are the words "Play Gloria" and a depiction of the championship parade at the Gateway Arch.

"They nailed it, they really nailed it," Steen said. "Just little details -- just the story behind every little detail on the ring, makes them so much more special. The whole ring signified the whole run that we had -- how everyone was connected and involved."

Wednesday marked the first time since 1962 that the previous two winners of the Stanley Cup met in the season-opening game for both teams.

LAS VEGAS – If anyone would have had an inkling that Tiger Woods was going to win the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 shots, it was probably Adam Scott.

Speaking Wednesday at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Scott spent time reflecting on his brief college career at UNLV and how that worked to shape him as a young man.

Since he was reminiscing, Scott was asked about a match he played as a 19-year-old against Woods, who was about to win the next four majors in a row and rattle off the greatest year of golf anyone has ever produced.

Scott was working with swing coach Butch Harmon shortly after turning pro, and Woods was stopping by Rio Secco on his way to Pebble Beach.

“It was the Sunday before the week of the U.S. Open,” Scott said.

“He closed me out on the 14th, but he double bogeyed the 9th for 63, and I was a bit blown away by what I saw. It was quite windy, and I thought I played quite well. Probably shot about even par and I was nine off the pace. I made probably a throwaway comment to Butch, something like, ‘Maybe I should reconsider turning pro?’

“The only thing that made me feel good was he won the U.S. Open by 15 the next week, so I was quite happy to see that no one else really played like that.”

Undeterred, Scott would go to win four times on the European Tour over the next three years before becoming a force on the PGA Tour with wins at the 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship and 2004 Players Championship.