Today we live in a world and marketplace that is more globalized than ever.When the NYSE is closed the Nikkei is open for business. There are deals to be closed somewhere in the world around the clock. After all, this website is one of the top 5,000 viewed sites in Costa Rica. In that vein, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Evan Turner is making cheddar in China, a nation where the NBA is huge! Like the video below tells us, the number of people who play basketball in China is larger than the entire population of the U.S.A.
If you follow Evan Turner on Twitter, you might notice that his page quote is the exact same that I have on my own Facebook page: Jay-Z’s famous “I’m not a business man, I’m a business; MAN!” from his rap on Kanye West’s single “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.”
It’s been a busy summer for the most written about athlete in Sports Bank history. The former Ohio State star told TMZ how he’s going to spend his NBA Draft money, struggled mightily in NBA Summer League, and even got into a Twitter smackdown with “The Paint Crew,” Purdue’s student section.
And now he’s on a mighty paper chase. And from the sound of it, I would guess Turner is (if I may quote Ludacris) “big paper like pancakes stacking ’em up.”
The #2 pick in this past June’s draft, Evan Turner is now signed to Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning. The brand may be relatively unknown stateside, but they’re doing ginormous numbers in the Far East. And this six-year deal will make Evan “The Villain” Turner the face of Li-Ning and potentially take the shoe/sportswear concern up another notch.
View the video below for more detail. CNBC’s Darren Rovell sat down with Evan Turner, Li-Ning Brand Director Brian Cupps and Turner’s agent (also Michael Jordan’s representation) David Faulk discussing the signing.
Written by Paul M. Banks, president and CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest-focused webzine. He is also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, the Chicago Tribune’s blog network, Walter Football.com, the Washington Times Communities, Yardbarker Network and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank and @bigtenguru