Chinese Firms Seek to Score with Spanish Soccer

(Beijing) – When NBA journeyman Damon Jones signed a shoe deal with Li Ning in 2006, it appeared to be little more than a case of a lower-level athlete cashing in toward the end of his career. But Jones was just the first in a long line of current NBA players sponsored by Chinese sportswear firms.

Peak leads the way in terms of quantity, having signed deals with more than a dozen current NBA players, while others have focused on star quality. Anta signed 14-time All-Star Kevin Garnett, Li Ning sponsored the now retired four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal and Erke became a corporate partner of the Los Angeles Lakers.