The majority of NBA players tend to gravitate towards the bigger shoe brands such as Nike and Adidas. It’s really only these two giants that rule the game, with 67.2% of the league wearing Nike shoes and Adidas coming in second with 11.1%. Although these might be the prevailing options, for some players they would rather be a cut above the flock and receive their signature shoe line rather than waste away wearing generic models from conglomerates. The players with this mindset turn to mostly Chinese brands as they are plentiful and willing to work with lesser-endorsed athletes.
Anta Sports Products Limited is a Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation headquartered in Jinjiang. According to their own website, they tout themselves as the third largest manufacturer of sporting goods behind Nike and Adidas, which seems far-fetched at first but becomes believable when you think about China’s population and the fact that they export goods to other countries. Previous to today, Anta had signed six NBA athletes, notably Klay Thompson and Gordon Hayward who both have their own shoe line. However, the Chinese brand might have struck gold in the last 24 hours.
Klay Thompson has been signed to Anta for 9 years
The seven players who have shoe deals with Anta :
- Klay Thompson
- Gordon Hayward
- Kyrie Irving
- Alex Caruso
- Terrance Mann
- Kevon Looney
- James Wiseman
When most NBA experts hear the name Anta they immediately think of Klay Thompson. Thompson signed a deal with Anta in 2014 and has been loyal to the brand ever since. In 2016, Anta gave Thompson a 10-year, $80 million extension which will run all the way through 2026. Thompson’s shoe line is called the ‘KT’ line and while it may not be too popular in the United States, the Anta KT regularly sells over 650,000 pairs in China.
Thompson’s greatest value however is what he brings to his teammates. He encourages the Chinese company to endorse his teammates as well as much as they can. As a result of that, Anta now also endorses Kevon Looney and James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors. Klay has stated that he aims to become the Michael Jordan of the brand, and is highly beloved in China for this reason.
If the rumors are true, it seems that Anta has signed one more big-name athlete to their growing roster. Besides signing lesser-known players it seems the Chinese companies do not mind players with a controversial past either. Anta has reportedly signed Kyrie Irving to a shoe deal, after his fallout with Nike due to some anti-Semitic remarks he made on social media. This could be a power move from Anta as Irving’s shoes have always sold very well historically and this could be the move that enters Anta into the Nike, Adidas echelon.
Besides these two star players, Anta also has Gordon Hayward who has his own signature shoe as well, the ‘GH’ line of shoes. Other role players that have also inked contracts with Anta include Terrance Mann of the Clippers and Alex Caruso of the Bulls.