Luciano Cigars And NBA Star Ron Harper Collaborate On Underrated Brand
It turns out that former basketball star Ron Harper is in the cigar business. When Luciano Cigars, released his Underrated brand earlier this year, nobody knew that there was a silent partner. That partner turned out to be Harper, a five-time NBA champion who played his final season with the LA Lakers. Harper, who co-owns the brand with Meirelles, had his involvement kept secret as both wanted the brand to stand up on its own without the need for celebrity hype.
According to Meirelles and Harper, the Underrated brand seeks to celebrate the spirit of the undervalued or unappreciated achieving excellence.
“In every stage of my career, I’ve seen firsthand how the unexpected can harbor greatness,” Harper stated in a press release. “This partnership on the construction of Underrated is a homage to those moments and to everyone who revels in the joy of discovering the exceptional in the unanticipated. When you defy expectations, you have a chance to delight in the underrated!”
Made in Nicaragua at the Luciano Tabacos S.A. factory, the blend consists of a medio tiempo grown in Pueblo Nuevo. Medio tiempo is a group of small but powerful leaves that grow at the top of a tobacco plant right above the corona level.
With suggested retail prices under $9, Underrated could be considered a value brand. It comes in five sizes: Sublime, measuring 6 1/2 inches by 54 ring gauge ($8.50); Toro Especial, 6 1/4 by 52 ($8.20); Robusto Extra, 5 1/2 by 50 ($7.90); and Corona Gorda, 5 5/8 by 46 ($7.50). All sizes ship in boxes of 20 cigars.
Both Meirelles and Harper will be at next week’s PCA trade show.
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