Golden State Warriors All-Star guard Klay Thompson over the last couple of years has become a growingly popular player in China.
In fact, this has led to Thompson inking a 10-year, $80 million endorsement deal with Anta, which is a China-based shoe company. All of this newfound popularity has come to much surprise for the 27-year-old to completely fathom, according to the Associated Press.
Article Continues Below“Life’s good,” Thompson said. “I never thought I’d get paid millions of dollars to wear shoes and apparel. I’m very proud to be a part of Anta. … It’s so cool that I’m big in China. I never thought I’d be on billboards and posters in China.”
What has further fueled his increased fame in China was his trip to the country over this past summer that featured many memorable gaffes by Thompson. This includes missing an attempted 360 dunk, airballing a 3-pointer, losing an arm wrestling match to a fan, and awkwardly dancing in a nightclub.
All of this has helped Thompson become a more relatable player to fans that has worked tremendously in his favor. This is a huge factor that has been largely beneficial for his teammate Stephen Curry over the last several seasons.
With a new 10-year deal with Anta in place, there be many opportunities ahead for Thompson to expand his own personal brand.