Shane Battier shows off the eighth series of his namesake sneakers in Beijing on August 27. Photo: Courtesy of Peak

Miami Heat star Shane Battier and Sacramento Kings playmaker Carl Landry have balanced charity with commercial commitments during their China tour, which last week included a stopover in Beijing. Aside from unveiling the Peak Battier VIII series of basketball shoes, the duo also lent a helping hand to the company's new charity Born for Basketball to raise money for children in impoverished regions of China.

The visit by Battier and Landry comes on the heels of San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker's July China tour. Parker, who led an entourage of NBA players including Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors and George Hill of the Indiana Pacers, visited eight Chinese cities over a week and unveiled the new edition of his namesake Peak basketball shoes.

Battier now joins an exclusive club of NBA legends that includes Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in having at least eight successive lines of namesake sneakers.

"I want to thank Peak Sport for helping me live up to my dreams," Battier told reporters at a press conference in Beijing on August 27. "These shoes have witnessed the most glorious moments of my basketball career." The Peak Battier VIII differs from earlier models with its stronger stability and shockproof technology.

The Peak NBA Stars China Tour offers an enriching experience to both Middle Kingdom basketball fans and their idols. Battier said he had relished the chance to greet thousands of fans in dozens of Chinese cities over the past seven years.

In addition to Landry, Battier has been joined on his latest China tour by Minnesota Timberwolves star Chase Budinger. The trio will visit seven cities to promote Peak Sport products and interact with fans through activities such as exhibition games and training clinics.

Xu Zhihua, CEO of Peak Sport, said the company hopes to further grow its NBA star power in future. "Currently, we have signed about 20 top-level NBA players," Xu said. "In China, Peak Sport is the largest sports brand in terms of the number of elite NBA players it has signed and the third largest in the world."

Battier also revealed his new role as charity ambassador for Peak Sport at last Tuesday's press conference. The 34-year-old showed off the pair of shoes he wore during Game 7 of the 2012-13 NBA Finals - a match in which he hit a record-setting six of eight three-pointers - before announcing that he would donate the autographed shoes for a charity auction to raise money for Born for Basketball.

Meanwhile, 100 T-shirts commemorating the Heat's championship-winning 2012-13 season and three T-shirts personally signed by Battier will be sold for charity at Peak's official online store (peaksport.com). Proceeds of sales will be used to build basketball courts and buy sports equipment for schools in low-income regions.

Xu noted that the annual Peak NBA Stars China Tour has evolved into one of the company's most recognizable events.

"As a company with a sense of social responsibility, Peak views instilling values in society as an intrinsic principle," Xu said. "Peak will continue to take pragmatic action to promote a love of basketball among youngsters."