St. Joes' Lynn Greer III Partners with Galloway’s Ethics The Brand
Yesterday, Lynn Greer III announced a NIL partnership with Ethics The Brand — a footwear and apparel company launched by 10 year NBA veteran and Saint Joseph’s Hawks all-time three point field goal leader Langston Galloway. Today, Lynn Greer III will start in the backcourt for Saint Joe’s against conference rival VCU in the semi-finals of the Atlantic Ten Tournament. The matchup will be the Hawks’ biggest game since 2016. There is no more valuable time for brands and athletes alike than tournament season; which means that for basketball players in the NIL era, an expectation to balance and compartmentalize the various aspects of being an elite athlete is the new normal, especially in March.
The partnership was a natural fit between Galloway’s Ethics The Brand and Greer, due to their shared experience on Hawk Hill. The junior guard out of Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic High School comes from a strong basketball pedigree; his father Lynn Greer Jr. played for the Milwaukee Bucks and is enshrined in the Big 5 Hall of Fame for his time at Temple. His grandfather Lynn Greer Sr. played collegiate hoops at Virginia State and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns. This season, Greer III has been part of a triple-headed monster backcourt alongside Erik Reynolds and Xzayvier Brown that has propelled the Hawks’ to their most successful season season in the Billy Lange era.
Outside of his talents on the court, Greer III has developed prowess as an influencer. With over 27,000 Instagram followers, the St. Joe’s guard transcends the normal level notoriety for the majority of Mid-Major starters. His presence in the Philadelphia market, only helps to increase his marketing potential.
Ethics The Brand was created by Langston Galloway and his wife Sabrina with a vision to create a sustainable shoe with a low environment impact free from animal products. The independent shoe company has a purpose and knows it; in an interview with Future World, Galloway expressed the philosophy of his brand “the whole point – the founding idea – of this shoe was to answer one question: how do we create something that carves out a lane for ourselves and gets us noticed, but also how do we create something that is sustainable? Something that is environmentally friendly and cruelty-free without sacrificing feel or performance?”
With a mission that contradicts many norms of modern footwear production Ethics has positioned themselves with a passionate consumer base. Langston Galloway put it bluntly: “Everybody can’t rock Ethics. Because, you know, not everybody’s gonna believe in the vision and believe in the bond that got us here.” While ethics may not have the wide ranging appeal of mega shoe corporations, the narrow and unabashed attitude of the brand has attracted the attention of big names. All-NBA Kyrie Irving has been spotted wearing the signature IgOne shoe in practice.
This partnership between Ethics The Brand and Greer III is not the story of an alumni leveraging his resources to help out a current athlete. The cross-generational partnership between the St. Joe’s guards is a tailor-made brand deal of mutual benefit. With at least one more nationally broadcasted game in the Hawks future, the post-season success of SJU could very well help spread the unique vision Ethics The Brand.
