NBA Stars Like Jalen Brunson Enlist Social Media Surrogates to Expand Reach in China

Jalen Brunson first experienced the fervor of the N.B.A.’s biggest international market in 2018 when, as a rookie, he traveled with the Dallas Mavericks to China for a pair of preseason games.The trip itself was brief, but the reception that Mr.

Brunson and his teammates received left a lasting impression.“The fandom that basketball brought to that country, I thought it was really cool and interesting and something I wanted to be a part of,” Mr.Brunson said in a recent interview.Now a star for the New York Knicks, Mr.

Brunson, 28, took a crucial step toward that goal before the current N.B.A.season when his representatives at Creative Arts Agency enlisted a digital management company, East Goes Global, to create and run Chinese social media accounts for him.

In the months since, Mr.Brunson has gained more than 400,000 followers across five of the country’s major apps: Bilibili, Douyin, RedNote, Weibo and WeChat.Mr.

Brunson is one of several N.B.A.players looking to establish an online presence in China, where millions of people follow the league closely.

But given the language barrier and differing societal norms and trends — not to mention an insular Chinese internet where popular western platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and X are blocked and content is reviewed by the government — most have sought help from companies with specific expertise in navigating the digital landscape.“I think it’s important to understand your audience, and I think a lot of smart people understand what they know and what they don’t know,” Mr.Brunson said.

“It was key for me to let someone else do it, because they understand more than me.Even though I am the face of it, they really run it.”Founded in 2018 by Andrew Spalter, a former music manager who lives in Austin, Texas, East Goes Global is not alone in providing such a service.

Coral Lu, a former ESPN reporter, handles the Chinese social media accounts for Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers and ...