Breakthrough of Chinese Brands in the NBA<\/strong>, one can only project who the next star will be.<\/p>\nTaking the PE (Player Exclusive) even further, custom sneakers have made their way onto the court thanks to a number of NBA players. The word uniform, in itself, speaks to blending in. Outside of tattoos, athletes rely on their footwear to express themselves. For basketball players in particular, your sneakers are an extension of your persona. It is the most important component of one\u2019s athletic wardrobe. It is only fitting that players want to have a say in what they wear on the court. Chinese brands allow that. Since back when Baron Davis and Shaquille O\u2019neal signed with Li-Ning years ago, the majority of players that sign on to these brands get PEs to play in. Their shoes are their shoes. At no point can a player signed to PEAK or Li-Ning, look down their team\u2019s bench, or across to the opposing team\u2019s sideline and see a player wearing the exact same shoe in the exact same colorway. That exclusivity is something that not all players can boast. The lack of duplication allows for those shoes to always draw attention.<\/p>\n
PEAK first signed Shane Battier back in 2006. At the time, he was viewed as a major grab for the brand. However, the next year, PEAK signed a 4-year deal with the NBA that allowed them to advertise globally with the league, and has since signed a 4-year deal with the Toronto Raptors. This year, the brand boasts a 14-man roster, including perennial All-Star Tony Parker. Nine of those 14 players participated in the NBA playoffs, so visibility was at an all-time high. As PEAK Sports Brand Director Kenny Carrol puts it, \u201cIf you are with PEAK, you can play.\u201d The success of the players in the shoe speaks to the brand\u2019s mantra.<\/p>\n
\nNBA players have become increasingly aware of their personal brand. No player exhibits this more than Dwyane Wade. Wade gained attention from fans over the summer by leaving Jordan Brand and signing a contract with little known Li-Ning. Once the details surfaced, it all made sense. Not only is the contract an astonishing 10-year, $10 million deal, but Wade has his own \u201cWADE\u201d brand under Li-Ning, of which he serves as Chief Brand Officer. He was also given complete creative control of footwear and apparel, and equity in the company. It is not likely that Wade has ten more seasons left in the NBA, but the goal is long term. Successfully recruiting a name with the magnitude of Dwyane Wade would have never been possible five years ago, but the resources coupled with the willingness to invest time, money, and effort has caused us all to pay attention. In our interview with him, Wade spoke to the company\u2019s commitment to him saying, \u201cI send my designer an email one night while I\u2019m sitting in the locker room before the game about the shoe, and then I check my email after the game and there\u2019s drawings or colorups of what we just talked about before the game.\u201d Not many companies can offer that type of attention to one entity, even if it is their best asset.<\/p>\n