That’s what Kobe Bryant’s agent (Rob Pelinka of SFX) is thinking.

The NBA continues to grow in China, and more people are buying jerseys (especially Kobe Bryant’s).

Besides being alongside Kobe throughout all of his struggles, Rob Pelinka has helped him become one of the most prized athletes in China. Kobe’s jersey is more popular in China than any other basketball player, including China’s own Yao Ming [Most popular jersey in China? Kobe's, not Yao's]. Yao is not even in the top 5 for jerseys sold this year, giving hope to agents that their American or other country-born client could become a major hit in China.

Bloomberg News is reported as believing that NBA retail sales and the number of NBA-related stores will rise greatly in China within the next year. As mentioned in the ESPN.com article, China is the largest country when it comes to size of population. Why not promote your NBA client in the biggest market available, and one that has a growing interest in your client’s sport?

-Darren Heitner