Associated Press BOSTON -- Yao Ming is changing his size 18 shoes. Reebok International Ltd. has signed the 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets center to a multiyear marketing deal after Yao's endorsement contract with Nike expired. Yao will help market Reebok in his native China through print and television ads, promotional appearances and with his signature collection of athletic footwear and apparel, the Canton-based sneaker maker announced Thursday. Reebok, which posted its strongest earnings quarter in six years Thursday, hopes Yao's popularity in China will help it earn a 20 percent market share, an estimated $300 million, by 2008. In June, Reebok and the NBA announced a pan-Asian partnership to develop and market NBA apparel and accessories. "We now have several extraordinarily powerful assets in global performance basketball," chairman and CEO Paul Fireman said. "And the addition of Yao gives us incredible traction in China, a critical market with great potential for our brand." The company did not release details of the deal. A spokesman for Yao, Bill Sanders of BDA Sports, did not immediately return a call for comment. John Horan, publisher of Sporting Goods Intelligence, of Glen Mills, Pa., said Reebok made a good move in signing Yao. Reebok, originally a European brand, has traditionally had a weak presence in China, the world's largest market, he said. "The Chinese market is expected to grow very, very quickly, partly because of the economy and partly because of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and Yao Ming is just huge over there," Horan said. "I think they see this as really their way of getting into that market in a big way." Yao, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft, averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Rockets in his rookie season. He will debut Reebok's NBA Fusion shoe during Houston's first regular season game next Thursday. His official footwear and apparel line will be introduced in fall 2004. "I look forward to the fun and the challenge of promoting basketball worldwide with a legendary company like Reebok," he said in a company release. Currently, Reebok's leading endorser among NBA players is Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers. Reebok shares closed up 51 cents at $37.75 in trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1645275
please remind me (a non north american) which season is "fall" - autumn or spring? logic says autumn, but you can never tell... R2k - at least god knew that Oz is the best place in the world to live... - this might explain how we voted our useless/shocking/dishonest/regressive Prime Minister in in the first place. - looking at the political leaders here yesterday - Bush the ultimate "non-wise man" who doesn't even know his left from right (loved that clip on letterman), President Hu from China & our Prime Minister "little" Johnny Howard - you would definetly say there wasn't 3 wise men (at least by policy) to be found in the country!... - and what fun would it be living in a society full of virgins
/adopting my best Foghorn Leghorn voice It's a joke son...get it?...a joke?? /seriously Im not taking any political view....it is just a funny quote that I heard floating around the board... and for the record..My dream vacation is to switch the tables on Smeg and go visit Aussieland one day...Im fascinated with all manner of Australian things(except for footie.) and... well, you could always have fun educatin them... and and....fall would be considered autumn by some..
i knew it was a joke. after i finished laughing i decided to defend our honour and it would be damn fun educating them, tho for some reason there isn't a line forming outside my house you really should get into AFL (footie) ( www.afl.com.au ) - it's a fantanstic game. it has the best athletes in the world competing in it. and no i'm not joking or being sarcastic. these guys run a half marathon every week, kick the ball accurately to a moving target 50meters away and take huge "marks" jumping onto/into other peoples backs! hard tackles and NO PADS!!! ... just realised i should continue this in the hangout...
