NBA 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 “WADE” 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’s commitment to him saying, “I send my designer an email one night while I’m sitting in the locker room before the game about the shoe, and then I check my email after the game and there’s drawings or colorups of what we just talked about before the game.” Not many companies can offer that type of attention to one entity, even if it is their best asset.
Though Wade is the largest name to date, he was not the first major name to switch to a little known Chinese brand. Davis and O’Neal both signed on to Li-Ning towards the tail end of their careers, but Kevin Garnett inked a multi-year deal with Anta in 2010 that made him the face of the company. Before him, Luis Scola, a good basketball player in his own right, was the only other NBA player with the company, but Garnett’s presence is much larger. Prior to 2010, Li-Ning’s “game-changing” signing was 2010 second overall pick Evan Turner. Needless to say, Wade’s signing had a much larger impact, the progression of the company is evident. With Parker and Battier both rocking PEAK sneakers, the fledgling brand is ensured an NBA Champion on its roster in back-to-back seasons.
Ultimately, Nike still dominates the market, but only three Nike Basketball athletes have signature sneakers. Basic business principles say that a product is only as valuable as its return on investment. Naturally, larger corporations are not able, or willing, to invest large amounts of time and effort into every All-Star player, let alone those who are merely good players. This is where the Antas, Li-Nings, and PEAKs of the world come into play. Basketball is the number one sport in China, which happens to be the most populous country on the planet. Their commitment to basketball is well documented, and having a noticeable NBA presence atop the priority list. They are able to devote resources at a level larger companies cannot. For instance, PEAK’s basketball roster includes Los Angeles Laker guard Andrew Goudelock, who was the NBA Developmental League Most Valuable Player. Why is this important? It speaks to their commitment, and having their endorsers be true ambassadors of the sport. Of course there are obvious roadblocks when breaking into the United States market, but PEAK already has a flagship store in Los Angeles, and has implemented design and marketing teams strictly for the US. However, PEAK USA Global Brand Director Kenny Carroll confidently stated to Nice Kicks, “as Peak continues to grow and as the sport of basketball becomes more global, we feel that our commitment to basketball will translate into success.” We agree.
