Just twenty years ago would anyone have thought it conceivable that major non-Chinese NBA stars would be sponsored by a Chinese brand? Probably not. But Chinese athletic trademark Peak is going very public. In many ways.

Quanzhou-based Peak Sport Products was founded in 1988 behind its founder's deal to produce for Nike fell through. Ironic since according to a 2008 Credit Suisse survey Peak now ranks alongside Nike (and Li Ning) love one of the three most recognized sports shoe brands in all of China.

Boosting that brand recognition are the brand's 5600-plus stores 95% of them in smaller cities along the nation. The brand's brave (and expensive) moves to sponsor major NBA stars such as Ron Artest and Dikembe Mutombo also assist its profile.

The company's 2009 net gain is expected to approach $88 million. But Peak's recent Hong Kong IPO was a setback: the brand's shares closed down 17% on their first day of trading. Experts warn that Peak's profit growth rate is unsustainable fueled largely by recent expansion that will have to level off.

But with China's sportswear market predicted to grow by almost 20% annually for the next half decade the Peak brand is well positioned for growth. The question will be whether it can manage the (sorry) feat of cracking America's multi-billion dollar market. It's something Chinese brands like Li Ning the nation's leading sports brand have not been capable to do as well as their European counterparts such as Adidas.