LeBron James will sell pork donuts in China

LeBron James has made no secret of his desire to become a global icon, the sort of cultural force who moves products all over the world and generally changes the face of basketball. Yet, until he wins multiple championships, or becomes well-liked on a level that even Biff Loman could never have dreamed of, that's probably a ways off.

[Rewind: LeBron James' team rejects his $3,000 birthday cake]

Nevertheless, James continues to reach out to other markets with endorsement opportunities. Except, instead of repping a basketball brand or an insurance company, he's going to China for Dunkin' Donuts. From Eveline Danubrata for Reuters (via Business Insider):

Dunkin' Brands Group Inc (DNKN.O) also announced a multi-year marketing agreement on Monday with National Basketball Association star LeBron James, who has a big following of Chinese fans. The company now has about 150 stores in China, the world's second-largest economy.

"Donuts are a very flexible product. You can do savory donuts, you can do donuts with shredded pork -- that's in China," Chief Executive Officer Nigel Travis told Reuters in an interview. [...]

Dunkin' Brands picked James as its brand ambassador in Asia partly due to the Miami Heat star's huge appeal in China, Travis said. James will promote Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins through advertising, online media and in-store marketing, as well as personal appearances at certain locations.

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