"I'm much more famous in China than I think I ever was in America, which is kind of cool."
-Shane Battier
Was just talking to a local here about the Olympics and the US basketball team today. We were going through all the stars that might be coming, like LeBron, Kobe, Chris Paul, Duncan, Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard. All exciting stuff for the Chinese, since All-Stars don't ever come to China. Then he dropped Shane Battier into the conversation. And don't get me wrong, Battier's a solid player, but he's not anywhere near the top tier of NBA players. On his own team, he's maybe the 3rd best player. But because he plays with Yao, he's got a US $4 million endorsement deal with PEAK shoes, his own clothing line and a TV ad that comes on twice during every NBA commercial break here.
PEAK is China's biggest shoe manufacturer, but it has absolutely no presence outside the country. That's even reflected in Battier's contract: should he get traded, the deal gets voided. But PEAK is so invested in him that when his name popped up in trade rumours last year, they sent an executive over just to check on things (he wasn't traded). Makes his possible selection to the Beijing Olympic basketball team a little more interesting, no? His shoes might just give him the edge he needs to make the team.
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