Talk about a sneaky publicity stunt — sketchy even.
Sneaker company Skechers said Friday it’s considering buying a stake in the LA Clippers basketball team — but then privately downplayed the idea when contacted by investors, sources told The Post.
“They’re telling people it’s just a publicity move and not to worry about it,” according to a Wall Street source.
Skechers shares plunged 4.9 percent to $39.93 after it announced it was putting together a group in hopes of buying a stake in the Clippers, whose owner Donald Sterling is expected to be pressured by other NBA owners to sell the franchise after being caught in a firestorm over racist remarks.
“We believe acquiring an interest in the Los Angeles Clippers is a natural fit for Skechers,” Robert Greenberg, CEO of Skechers, said in a splashy statement Friday.
“There is no truth to the claim that this a publicity stunt,” Skechers spokeswoman Jenn Clay told The Post Friday.
Susquehanna analyst Christopher Svezia, in a research note, raised doubts about the “optics” of shelling out cash for a Clippers stake, noting that Skechers doesn’t pay a dividend and has never repurchased stock.
But, as with other analysts and investors, Svezia appeared to be less concerned after talking to Skechers about the situation.
“After further conversations, [we] relegate this to a publicity tool with a very small chance of anything happening,” Svezia said.