Trail Blazers' C.J. McCollum Hoping To Expand Brand In China Through Li-Ning Partnership

Trail Blazers G C.J. McCollum earlier this month signed a pact with Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning, and the "lucrative five-year endorsement deal" will make him "one of the top-earning players signed to a Chinese company," according to Nick DePaula of ESPN.com. McCollum was looking to "expand on his own brand throughout the region, while Li-Ning was looking to refresh its roster with younger, more explosive players." After sponsoring the Chinese Basketball Association via a five-year, $300M partnership that expired this past spring, Li-Ning "recently renewed with the local league for exactly half of the marketing commitment." The company's new $150M pact over the same number of years means the brand is "shifting strategy and will have more resources to allocate toward signing NBA players." The early meetings between McCollum and the Li-Ning reps "involved discussions on footwear technologies, branding, colors, materials and a potential logo, but the two sides are taking their time before making any big rollouts." There is "no signature shoe in stores just yet." McCollum: "We're going through all of that now, trying to figure out the logos and how I want to incorporate it." DePaula noted the two sides have also "discussed a long-term vision of how he and the brand could best work together on more impactful events and programs." McCollum has "already begun diving into the different platforms throughout China, where he can begin to extend his new partnership" (ESPN.com, 10/25).