Klay Thompson’s team may have lost the NBA Finals, but the Golden State Warriors guard is recording a win of his own off the court.
China-based sports brand Anta Sports Products Ltd., the company behind Thompson’s signature shoes, the Anta KT, said the line has passed the 650,000 pair mark, becoming the fastest growing among all NBA-player-endorsed Anta products.
Anta and Thompson unveiled his signature shoes in February 2015 and recorded about 150,000 orders in the first year.
In addition to the original KT1, special editions of KT models were introduced in concurrence with the NBA Playoffs and Finals. The KT series has now recorded more than 500,000 more orders for 2016 trade fairs, an increase of about 240 percent, according to Anta.
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“While I am sad to see the Warriors missing out on the crown this season, I am thrilled to announce that the KT series topped the charts in China in terms of growth amongst all Anta basketball lines,” said Anta chairman and CEO Ding Shizhong in a release Monday. “Klay’s outstanding performance this season certainly reflects the quality of our brand.”
Shizhong added that the brand will continue to build on the momentum, with plans to launch additional special edition KT lines and host a number of high-profile promotional events in 2016.
Thompson’s performance garnered extensive praise and recognition throughout the 2016 NBA season, particularly his record 11 3-pointers in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder in May.
“The launch of the Klay Thompson series products was one of the most closely watched endorsement deals in recent years for a Chinese brand and a bold move by Klay, who left a legacy brand for his namesake line,” Shizhong said.
Thompson credited the brand, which he donned on the court throughout the season, with giving him “the strong grip, safety, balance and stability to perform and excel.”
Anta Sports Products Ltd., founded in 1994 in the Jinjiang, Fujian province in China, makes and markets retail sports equipment and shoes.
