MANILA, Philippines – What’s better than one NBA star endorsing your brand? Having another.
And that’s exactly what Smart Communications, chaired by tycoon and self-confessed sports junkie Manuel V. Pangilinan, will get.
Smart on Wednesday announced that it had signed 23-year-old Washington Wizard JaVale McGee as its newest corporate endorser.
He joins Kevin Durant, who plays for Oklahoma City Thunder, as the latest addition to Smart’s roster of endorsers.
“Smart is a great company,” McGee said in a roundtable discussion with reporters on Tuesday. “It’s a great phone company for the Filipino people. It’s an honor to be here.”
McGee is in the country for meet-and-greets with fans, to guest at a basketball game and to conduct a basketball clinic for kids.
“McGee is one of the freshest and most exciting players in the NBA today,” said Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando Vea.
He stood out during the last NBA all-star slam dunk contest when he was cited by the Guinness Book of World Records for being able to dunk three balls in a single jump—the most any person has done in history.
McGee was in the Philippines last July with fellow superstars Kobe Bryant, Derek Rose, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Tyreke Evans for exhibition games with local All-Stars.