PORTLAND -- CJ McCollum's rapid rise to stardom earned him a $106 million contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. The fifth-year guard also suddenly found himself among the most sought-after players by footwear brands this past summer, as his initial four-year sneaker deal with Nike was set to expire. Financial details aside, McCollum was looking for a brand that would feature him and allow him to be involved in curating his own products going forward. Outside of creating his own custom colorways of Kyrie Irving's shoe on Nike's iD website from time to time, developing his own product would be all new territory for the rising guard, who was named the league's Most Improved Player in 2015. "I didn't know much about it at all, honestly," McCollum said of sneaker deals when he was first drafted. "Watching from afar, and being a fan from afar, I didn't necessarily understand the negotiating side of it and the contract structure of how players go from rookie deals to the next deal. As you go through the NBA, you get a decent understanding of it." He has now become one of the more savvy players around the league, partnering with a growing list of companies and also sharing his own personality and perspective on his social media accounts. Across the globe, longtime Chinese athletic brand Li-Ning took notice and emerged as the most interested, most invested and... http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...m-becomes-li-ning-biggest-signing-dwyane-wade
