Parker at his Peak

By popular demand, we are running another contest for readers who missed out on the Molten official Rio Olympic basketballs and Gilas-inspired wrist watches that we gave out to 15 winners last month. This time, we’re putting Tony Parker’s signature Peak shoe on the line as our major prize.

That’s not all. Peak Sports Philippines is giving away five more pairs of basketball shoes, 11 basketballs and 11 drawstring backsacks. Our grand prize winner will take home a Tony Parker signature shoe, a Peak basketball and a backsack. The next five winners will each get a Peak basketball shoe, a Peak basketball and a backsack. The last five winners will receive a Peak basketball and a backsack.

It’s easy to join. Just send your entries to “A Sporting Chance,” The Philippine Star, Railroad and Oca Streets, Port Area, Manila on a slip of paper or to the Twitter account @TheDeanQuinito or the Instagram account @therealdeanquinito or on Facebook at Joaquin Henson.

Each entry must contain the correct answers to these five questions. First, where is Parker’s mother Pamela Firestone from? England or France or Netherlands. Second, where was Parker born? France or Belgium or USA. Third, what is the name of Parker’s wife? Eva Longoria or Brigitte Bardot or Axelle Francine. Fourth, what are the names of Parker’s two sons? Liam and Josh or Liam and Jack or Josh and Nash. Finally, how many NBA titles has Parker won with the San Antonio Spurs? Three or two or four.

Additionally, write why you think Parker was in Peak form during last month’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament where France won the championship. Limit your explanation to three sentences. The essay must be concise, insightful and creative. If there are ties in the contest, the essay will be the decider.

Don’t forget to include your name, age, basketball shoe size, address, occupation (if student, what school, year and course) and contact details (email address, cellphone number). Deadline for entries is on Friday, Aug. 19, 5 p.m. We will announce the winners in this column on Sunday, Aug. 21.

Parker signed a three-year contract to endorse Peak in 2013 and was recently inked to a five-year extension. “I’m very, very happy to be with Peak,” said Parker at a press conference in Manila before the start of the recent Olympic qualifier. “It’s a great opportunity for me to have a unique experience with the brand and help the brand grow. The main reason why I joined Peak is the shoe. I love the shoe. I feel very comfortable in it and I feel like I’m performing very well.”  

Parker said he’s personally involved in conceptualizing and designing his signature shoe, now on its third variation. He makes it a point to visit China and tour Peak’s facility every year. Parker said he’s proud to be a Peak endorser and part of the Peak family. Another Peak endorser is Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova who played on the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA title squad last season and recently signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. Both Parker and Dellavedova are now seeing action for their national teams at the Rio Olympics.

Peak is in over 7,000 stores world-wide and has tie-ups with the NBA, WNBA, PBA and NBA China. In terms of market share, Peak has ranked No. 1 for eight straight years in China with its basketball shoe enjoying the highest net sales volume among similar products. According to Peak, it’s become one of the fastest-growing basketball footwear brands in the world and a favorite of the youth and sports fans in international markets in Europe, the Americas and Japan.

“To get better marketing performance in the future, we will continue to increase our investment in market research and development and constantly make our products more diversified,” said Peak Sport CEO Xi Zhihua. “Peak basketball shoes have gained recognition. Many NBA superstars, including Tony and Dwight Howard, wear them during NBA games. By improving quality, we have strengthened Peak’s market competitiveness and we will continue to live up to our customers trust.”

Peak shoes and apparel for men and women are available at Olympic Village, Toby’s Sports, SM, Robinsons, Gaisano, Isetan and other department stores all over the country. Peak is distributed locally by Pro Star. Peak also provides complete gear for training and running. It’s the official outfitter of the PBA team Meralco and PBA referees.