CJ McCollum Signs 5-Year Sneaker Endorsement Contract with Li-Ning

Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has inked a five-year shoe endorsement contract with Chinese brand Li-Ning.

Nick DePaula of ESPN reported the deal, which will feature McCollum "curating his own products." He had an endorsement contract with Nike his first four years in the league. 

"I was looking for a unique opportunity to go where I was wanted," McCollum said. "Similar to college with different universities, there needs to be a mutual admiration. You want to go somewhere where you're wanted and where you can be utilized and have input in the brand. I felt like I was going to have those things and influence into my shoes. With the market four or five times the United States, it could be crucial in my development as a player, person and brand."

McCollum, 26, has emerged as one of the league's premier shooting guards over the last three seasons. He averaged 23.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 2016-17, shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range and acting as the Blazers' secondary ball-handler to Damian Lillard.

Li-Ning already has an endorsement contract with Dwyane Wade, who became the brand's first major signee in 2012. The deal was categorized as "bizarre" by some outlets at the time, but Wade has seen success for his line in China, and Li-Ning is working on expanding its base stateside.

Blazers swingman Evan Turner is also signed with Li-Ning and worked on convincing McCollum to partner up.

"I just kept it real with him, what I liked about the brand and how I thought we could get better," Turner said. "As his star was rising, I told him I thought it'd be advantageous for him to partner with an up-and-coming brand."

Signing to an overseas brand may be helpful for raising McCollum's international profile. He'll likely begin joining Wade and others on tours of China, and there is naturally less competition from a resource standpoint than at Nike, Adidas or Under Armour.

For a player who sits slightly below the All-Star threshold, this seems like a smart business move.