NBA star Dwyane Wade could play in China
Staff Reporter 2013-03-01 09:13
Dwyane Wade at a Li-Ning event in Beijing. (Photo/Xinhua)
Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade could play professional basketball in China for a year after he retires from the NBA, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.
Wade ended his contract with Nike's Jordan brand and signed a deal with the China-based athletic company Li-Ning, which sponsors the Chinese Basketball Association, China's top professional basketball league. Rumors claim that part of the deal specifies that the 31-year-old Wade will play in the CBA for a year after he decides to retire from the NBA.
Wade's signing is a major milestone for Li-Ning as the brand lacks global superstars like fellow Heat player LeBron James or basketball icon Michael Jordan, who can singlehandedly carry a brand, analysts said.
Li-Ning has also planned to sponsor the CBA 400 million yuan (US$64.2 million) per year, starting this year, to become the exclusive sponsor of sports equipment for CBA players.
A Q-Scores Company survey revealed that Wade is recognized by 66% of all global sports fans between the ages of 12 and 64.
Former NBA stars such as Tracy McGrady and Stephon Marbury are currently playing in the CBA, while Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has also expressed an interest in playing in China following his retirement from the NBA.
