Heat G Terrel Harris and C Dexter Pittman on Saturday during the team's participation in the '12 NBA China Games were "introduced as endorsers" of Chinese shoe and apparel company Peak, which is also a Heat team sponsor, according to Joseph Goodman of the MIAMI HERALD. A source said that G James Jones "has agreed to a contract with the shoe company ... and is set to sign a contract next month." Jones is currently "under contract with Nike." F Udonis Haslem is "currently in negotiations with Peak and could announce a deal soon" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 10/13).
FALLBACK PLAN? Univ. of Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center Managing Dir Paul Swangard said that there is a "fallback plan" for Heat G Dwyane Wade if his Li-Ning shoe does not catch on in the U.S. Swangard said, "The core of their business is still sales of shoes and apparel in domestic China. I would imagine that there was some conversation during the negotiations where someone said, 'Would you be willing to play in the (Chinese Basketball Association) for one or two years as a piece of that long-term puzzle?'" Ted Fishman, author of "China Inc.," said, "Li-Ning might seem like an obscure brand to Americans, but it's an almost omnipresent brand in China" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/15).
