McDonald's (nyse: MCD - news - people ), which has a "worldwide partnership" with NBA star Yao Ming, has been expanding rapidly there.

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Kobe has the top selling NBA jersey in China, blowing the doors off Yao Ming jerseys for three years straight.

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Ma Bang added that the player from Jiangsu Province has been placed in the same league as China's NBA export Yao Ming and 110m hurdles record holder Liu Xiang.

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It has also garnered dozens of celebrity supporters, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Bo Derek, Yao Ming, Scarlett Johansson, Megan Fox, Edward Norton and Paul Rudd.

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