Bryant relates to Wade on this

Kobe Bryant is among the NBA’s superstar pitchmen, but it seems Dwyane Wade has moved to the front of the line.

The Miami Heat’s fourth-year guard has been busy off the court during the All-Star festivities here, fulfilling his duties of being the face of many corporations, including Converse, T-Mobile and Lincoln. Wade and his corporate partners hosted parties with product tie-ins, and his likeness could be seen on billboards and a giant banner hanging on the side of a hotel.

The success of the defending-champion Heat and Wade’s performance -- he was last season’s Finals MVP -- have helped put him in elite company as a corporate spokesman at only 25, and Bryant can relate.

Bryant became a favorite of Madison Avenue in his early 20s while the Lakers won three consecutive NBA championships, and he says Wade is seizing his moment and doing it the right way.

“He understands that the game is the reason why he has all of this,” Bryant said Saturday after the West squad practiced for today’s All-Star game at the Thomas and Mack Center.

“For guys who love playing the game of basketball, it never becomes an issue of being a distraction because you love playing and you love working. I didn’t have to worry about it becoming a distraction with myself.

“Knowing D-Wade, you don’t have to worry about it with him either, because he loves to play the game. That’s what it’s about.”

Wade on Friday conducted a Brand Wade Summit at a hotel, meeting with representatives of companies he represents and other groups that hope to begin a relationship with him.

“I brought a lot of sponsors all in one room and had a great discussion,” said Wade, who defeated Bryant to win the skills-challenge competition.

“I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the process. It has been a great weekend for me.”

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Players who retired before 1965 will now benefit more from the league’s pension plan, the NBA and players association announced.

Under the revised plan, players who retired before 1965 will receive a 50% increase in their pension benefits. A former player’s benefit increases from $2,400 to $3,600 for each year he played in the league.

Players who retired before 1965, with 10 years of service, will receive $36,000 a year. That group previously received annual payments of $24,000.

Moreover, the league and union agreed to provide the higher benefit to players with three and four years of NBA service. Only players who were in the league for five or more years were previously eligible to receive pension benefits.

And the new plan is retroactive to July 1, 2005, so eligible players will receive a lump-sum payment totaling what they would have gotten from that point to today.

“I thank the NBA owners,” Commissioner David Stern said while addressing reporters. “I thank the generosity of the players association.”

Said Billy Hunter, director of the NBA Players Assn.: “It’s great that we’ve seen fit to step up. The pre-65ers have been lobbying us

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Former UCLA standout Jason Kapono won the three-point shootout with a final-round score of 24, one off the record held by Craig Hodges. Kapono, a Miami forward, beat out Washington’s Gilbert Arenas and defending champion Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas.... In the slam-dunk competition, Gerald Green of the Boston Celtics beat defending champion Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks, capping his effort with a windmill dunk after jumping over a table with the All-Star game logo.

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jason.reid@latimes.com