(EQS-News / 13/02/2015 / 14:18 UTC+8)
For Immediate Release
NBA Star Klay Thompson Joins ANTA; "KT FIRE" Basketball Shoe Unveiled
(Hong Kong, 13 February 2015) ANTA Sports Products Limited ("ANTA Sports"
or the "Company", stock code: 2020), a leading branded sportswear
enterprise in China, is pleased to announce that in the afternoon of 12
February (local time in New York City, USA) the Company signed an
endorsement contract with Klay Thomson, one of the top players in the NBA
and a star shooting guard of the Golden State Warriors, who now joins
ANTA's "Basketball is Priceless" team. The Company's "Basketball is
Priceless" lineup now consists of NBA stars Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo,
Luis Scola, Chandler Parsons, and newly joined Klay Thompson, forming not
only a star-studded team on the basketball court, but also a powerful
assembly of top NBA resources for a Chinese sportswear brand.
Klay Thompson, now just 25 years old, joined the NBA in the 2011-12 season
and has been playing for the Golden State Warriors since joining the
league. He was named starting shooting guard and became one of the scoring
leaders of the team in his second NBA season. He signed a maximum contract
with the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2014, formally becoming a
top-tier player in the NBA. Famous for his three-point shooting and
defense, Klay Thompson and his teammate Stephen Curry were nicknamed the
"Splash Brothers", and the pair set a new NBA record by making 484
three-pointers in the 2013-14 season, making them widely acknowledged as
the best backcourt duo in the league. Klay Thompson has been delivering
even better performance recently. On 23 January 2015, he made 11
three-pointers and scored a career-high 52 points, making all 13 shots
(including 9 three-pointers) and scoring 37 points in the third quarter
alone, setting an NBA record for the individual highest-scoring in a single
quarter in the NBA all-time history. With his remarkable performance, Klay
Thompson was selected for the NBA All-Star Game this year for the first
time in his career.
Meanwhile, the first designated shoes for Klay Thompson tailor made by
ANTA, "KT FIRE", has been unveiled. The name is inspired by Klay Thompson's
sharp three-point shooting and the electrifying scoring which Klay Thompson
and Stephen Curry often put on display to defeat their opponents. The "KT
FIRE" features the orange and blue colour scheme of the Golden State
Warriors along with a sharp contour and figure, which match well with Klay
Thompson's image as a sharpshooter. Klay Thompson's jersey number is shown
on the heel, while a logo featuring the word "FIRE" is seen on the quarter.
The "KT FIRE" also boasts outstanding ventilation and support functions,
and flamboyant designs are removed to give a more minimal and practical
look to the shoes, fully echoing basketball players' demand for
functionality on the court.
The "KT FIRE", a premium shoe for the NBA top player which offers good
value-for-money, is a perfect interpretation of ANTA's vision of
"Basketball is Priceless". "Basketball is Priceless" illustrates the belief
that strength cannot be measured by price. With this belief, ANTA provides
its customers the most professional, reliable, and strongest basketball
gear at prices that are affordable for the mass consumer groups, allowing
the largest number of consumers to enjoy basketball by wearing ANTA
basketball shoes. The "KT FIRE" is fully equipped with all the necessary
functions of basketball shoes designed for top NBA players, but at a price
that is affordable for the mass consumer groups, thereby adhering to the
brand's pricing strategy as "National Basketball Shoes". One of the best
NBA three-point shooters and a top-tier player in the league, Klay Thompson
is indeed a symbolic icon of real basketball strength. His hardworking,
dedicated and generous personality is compatible with ANTA's brand spirit
and basketball marketing strategy. In the future, ANTA Sports will provide
basketball lovers with more value-for-money basketball gear by building
Klay Thompson's designated brand under ANTA's "Basketball is Priceless"
basketball strategy.
Mr. Xu Yang, General Manager of the Basketball Business Unit of ANTA
Sports, said, "In 2014, the sales (in terms of wholesale price) and volume
from ANTA basketball shoes have grown by approximately 40% and 30%
year-on-year, respectively, hitting a record high. More than two million
pairs of basketball shoes were sold last year, representing a high
single-digit percentage of total volume of footwear sales. These figures
demonstrate ANTA Sports' professionalism in the basketball segment and the
effectiveness of its basketball promotions. In the future, ANTA Sports will
continue to promote basketball by adhering to its strategy of 'Basketball
is Priceless'. The endorsement of Klay Thompson and the partnership with
the NBA are both boosting the market share of ANTA basketball products in
China's basketball market as well as customer loyalty, and are crucial for
ANTA basketball product category to achieving a leading position in China's
basketball market in the coming years."
/
Klay Thompson joining ANTA and receiving the "KT FIRE" shoe
-End-
About ANTA Sports Products Limited
As one of the leading branded sportswear enterprises in China, ANTA Sports
Products Limited primarily designs, develops, manufactures and markets ANTA
sportswear, including sports footwear, apparel and accessories. The Company
has established extensive distribution network with a leading presence in
second and third tier cities in China under the management of regional
distributors. The Company places great emphasis on branding by integrating
sports resources and sponsorship, advertising and promotional activities
and consistent store image to enhance brand and product differentiation.
For the past 13 years, the Company's footwear has been enjoying a leading
position in China composed index on market share.
For further information, please contact:
ANTA Sports Products Limited
Investor Relations Department
Tel: (852) 2116-1660
Fax: (852) 2116-1590
E-mail: ir@anta.com / ir@anta.com.hk
Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia
Agnes Suen / Ka Wai Li
Tel: (852) 2894-6258 / (852) 2894-6252
E-mail: anta@hkstrategies.com
End of Press Release
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Document: http://n.equitystory.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=KFEBTWQQIF
Document title: NBA Star Klay Thompson Joins ANTA; 'KT FIRE'
Basketball Shoe Unveiled
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Key word(s): Miscellaneous
13/02/2015 UTC+8 Dissemination of a Press Release, transmitted by EQS
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323123 13/02/2015 UTC+8
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 13, 2015 01:19 ET (06:19 GMT)
