LeBron James may not be feeling particularly good right now. However, he can rest assured that his reputation in China -and that of basketball in general- remains alive and well.

James and his fellow Miami Heat players endured a crushing defeat in the NBA finals Sunday at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. The 4-1 series was much more lopsided than most onlookers had predicted it would be. Yet this series further proved that love of basketball, particularly of the NBA, remains alive and well in the Middle Kingdom.

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"International growth has been a key part of the NBA's business model for years," the Associated Press recently pointed out. "There's an international broadcasting compound at the finals now, and the series' courtside logos and signage is being shown in eight languages - Chinese, French, Hindi, Japanese, Portugese, Spanish, and Turkish."

And that's just at the finals itself. The NBA and its players remain huge in China, with James continuing to take the lead in terms of selling power and name recognition.

James has reportedly inked a deal with McDonald's to star in a series of China-focused advertisements, to prop up that company's sliding sales figures.

According to Time Magazine, "McDonald's new ad move is part of drive to lure more Chinese sales...where the company is redoing its China-based stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and overhauling its advertising campaign."

Part of James' popularity may be an unwillingness to engage in any political actions that could disrupt his standing within the country. For example, James declined an opportunity in 2008 to sign a letter circulated by a Cleveland teammate that would have expressed disapproval with the Chinese government over arms sales to Darfur.

Despite Sunday's disappointing loss, James probably still has a long career ahead of him. And if current trends continue, he will almost certainly have the backing of the Chinese people. 

TagsLebron James, US basketball