Warriors G Klay Thompson has "signed a new 10-year renegotiation extension" with Chinese shoe brand Anta, keeping him with the company until '26, according to Nick DePaula of NICEKICKS.com. The deal, negotiated by Wasserman Senior VP/Basketball Greg Lawrence and Thompson's business manager Joe McLean, makes him "among the top 10 highest earning sneaker endorsers" in the NBA. The deal could reach 10 years and $80M, with a "variety of incentives incorporated into the contract, and will continue to grow his brand" throughout both China and the U.S. After Thompson first signed on with Anta in '14, he has "been to China four times total, twice for a multi-city summer tour throughout the country with Anta, after each of his NBA championships." Even though Thompson was under contract with Anta until '20, the two sides "opened talks on a new extension that would effectively tear up the existing terms of his original deal, retroactively starting fresh" as of November '16. The '14 agreement paid him around $2M annually -- now he will be "making around four times that much, with continued resources and marketing committed to growing his 'KT' signature footwear and apparel line around the globe." With more than 8,000 stores across China, Anta "placed over 500,000 pairs of the KT1 in the marketplace." Later this fall, Thompson and Anta will "launch the KT3 together, along with an assortment of KT-branded basketball gear, casual apparel and lifestyle sneakers" (NICEKICKS.com, 6/30).
