The National Basketball Association (NBA) is taking its hoop action and marketing partners Champion, Nike, FootLocker, EA Sport, Spalding and Sprite to eight cities in four European countries in its first-ever NBA Basket Jam, a basketball festival that features interactive basketball games and entertainment activities.
The two-day events, which tipped off in Lyon, France on July 22, run through Sept. 17 and will visit eight cities in Spain, Italy and Germany.
Event activities include a 1-on-1 skills competition dubbed Champion of the Court; a Nike 3-Point Shootout court where players have 40 seconds to shoot 15 balls from the 3-point line; FootLocker 10,000 Shot where a player shoots from mid-court to win a prize; and a virtual gaming tournament presented by EA Sports featuring the NBA Live 07 game.
A Crash-the-Boards activity lets fans bounce on trampolines as they play a game of 1-on-1 ; in Sling Shot, players shoot at baskets using balls assisted by a giant sling shot. The event also includes 5-on-5 basketball tournaments officiated by referees in each city where players comprised of 16 teams match up to compete for the title of city champion.
Fans are also treated to a live entertainment program featuring prize giveaways and music on center court.
During October, the countries visited during the Basket Jam will play host to NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports. The event will feature the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, who will conduct training camps and compete against European basketball clubs.
Included in the NBA Basket Jam is a NBA Europe Live branded area for fans to see and learn about the NBA’s European initiative.
“The event is part of our core goal to bring the NBA experience abroad to fans who can’t experience the NBA day in and day out,” said Emilio Collins, VP-global marketing partnership, NBA. “It was designed to be participatory and interactive in terms of having fun and having fans touching and feeling what the NBA is like.”
The event will hopefully spark a new fan base that will interact with the NBA brand through buying merchandise, attending games and watching TV broadcasts, Collins said.
Billboards, radio and print ads support. Norwalk, CT-based Octagon handles.
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