{"id":776958,"date":"2026-07-03T05:05:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/776958\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T05:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:05:13","slug":"china-sports-brands-score-nba-stars-to-assist-global-ambitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/776958\/","title":{"rendered":"China sports brands score NBA stars to assist global ambitions"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a> Signing celebrity athletes like Kyrie Irving has become a key strand of Chinese brands’ expansion strategy (Hector RETAMAL) <\/p>\n

NBA star Kyrie Irving walked out onto a basketball court in southwest China to rapturous applause, his brightly coloured Chinese-made sneakers a vivid statement of domestic sportswear brands’ increasing global reach. <\/p>\n

Firms like ANTA, the organisers of Irving’s Chengdu fan meet last week, have upped their international profile in recent years, building upon their success at home to make headway overseas. <\/p>\n

Signing celebrity athletes from popular sports like basketball has become a key strand of that expansion strategy, boosting credibility abroad while appealing to the many NBA fans in the domestic market. <\/p>\n

The athletes “help us tremendously because they help us to create global awareness, also global reach”, Global Basketball General Manager for ANTA, Rocky Fan, told AFP in Chengdu. <\/p>\n

“It’s now time to take our brand global,” he said. “We believe (basketball) is a very important, very unique sport that we could… leverage to reach our global consumers.” <\/p>\n

NBA endorsements “are the single most effective bridge Chinese sportswear brands have into Western consumer consciousness”, said Rufio Zhu from sports marketing agency\u00a0IMG. <\/p>\n

ANTA are not alone in embracing this strategy. In June, Beijing-based brand Li-Ning signed basketball superstar Steph Curry. <\/p>\n

That agreement “moves the needle significantly, because (Curry’s) really top tier”, said Mark Dreyer, author of “Sporting Superpower”, a book about China’s ambitions in the sector. <\/p>\n

– ‘All around the world’ – <\/p>\n

For a Western consumer base that might still view Chinese brands as offering value over quality, top-tier endorsement can be crucial. <\/p>\n

Signing big-name athletes lends “attention, credibility and relevance”, Elisa Harca from marketing agency Red Ant Asia told AFP. <\/p>\n

Curry’s choice of Li-Ning over more established brands like Nike and Adidas “signals the product delivers at the highest level”, IMG’s Zhu said. <\/p>\n

Popular athletes can also “help brands bridge cultural gaps, introduce products to new audiences and create a level of familiarity that would otherwise take years to build”, said Adrian Staiti from agency CAA Sports. <\/p>\n

Both ANTA and Li-Ning have offered involved partnerships to their stars to better foster that connection. <\/p>\n

Irving, for example, is ANTA’s chief creative officer of basketball. <\/p>\n

“Being a CCO is definitely a lot of pressure on me to… design new things, and especially when the community is asking for more,” Irving told reporters in Chengdu. <\/p>\n

“It’s not just an American community, it’s not just China, it’s all around the world.” <\/p>\n

– Still ‘niche’ – <\/p>\n

ANTA differs from Li-Ning in that it has also pursued a significant overseas acquisition strategy. <\/p>\n

Its portfolio now includes well-established names like Puma, Arc’teryx, Salomon and Wilson. <\/p>\n

“There’s a stronger case to say that ANTA has become a global brand” off the back of these stakes in foreign companies, said Dreyer. <\/p>\n

But that in itself does not necessarily translate to a change in the perception of the individual ANTA brand, added the author. <\/p>\n

That’s where the stars come in. <\/p>\n

Online sales of Li-Ning shoes spike after televised basketball games, said Zhu. <\/p>\n

“If the quality of the product holds up, then there’ll be gradual acceptance,” said Dreyer. <\/p>\n

There are nascent signs of success — ANTA’s overseas revenue grew 150 percent on-year in the first half of 2025, albeit from a low base. <\/p>\n

The company is planning 1,000 foreign stores by 2028. <\/p>\n

Still, marketing professional Harca argued that courting NBA stars has had the biggest impact in the domestic market. <\/p>\n

ANTA has overtaken Nike to hold 23 percent of the Chinese sportswear market, according to IMG. <\/p>\n

Globally, “Chinese brands remain relatively niche,” Harca said. <\/p>\n

“The ambition is clear but the execution is still early-stage.” <\/p>\n

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