Chinese leading sportswear?manufacturer Li-Ning (HKEx: 2331)
signed a two-year contract with Cleveland Cavaliers' guard Damon
Jones of the National Basketball Association, the company announced
in Beijing on Tuesday.
Li-Ning becomes the first Chinese sportswear company to sign a
current American player of the NBA. China's brand Athletics signed
former Houston Rockets and Portland Trailblazers legend Clyder
Drexler in 2005.
The agreement was inked on Monday at Cleveland, Ohio. Details
are not disclosed.
Jones, 29, is one of the leading outside shooters in the NBA,
averaging .432 from behind the arc last season with the Miami
Heats.
Starting in place of the injured Larry Hughes, Jones averaged
7.7 points this season, shooting .372 on 3-pointer.
Jones has worn the "Feijia" sneakers provided by the Li Ning
Sports Good Company this season.
"The Li-Ning products, with oriental culture, make me unusual in
the NBA court," Jones said through teleconference from Cleveland
when the company held a news conference in Beijing.
"They're an awesome company, and they've been great so far,"
Jones said to Cleveland local newspaper before the signing of the
contract.
"It was a situation where I didn't have a shoe contract coming
into the year, and I was searching around, and I felt that being
different, as I am, I thought it would be a good move to market
myself in a different light."
(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2006)