NBA going back to Europe with EA
Posted by M (20 Feb 2007, 11:04 p.m. NZDT)
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The NBA will return for its second year of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports next Spring when the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors will conduct training camps and play exhibition games in six European cites in four countries, as announced today by NBA Commissioner David Stern.
The 2007 NBA Europe Live will mark a series of firsts in the NBA's 19-year history of conducting games in Europe. The Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves will play in the first basketball game in the O2, London's new state of the art basketball arena. In addition, the NBA will conduct its first game played in Turkey. The event will also feature the first time two NBA teams have competed against one another in Madrid and Rome.
After the 2007 NBA Europe Live, NBA teams will have played 40 games in 15 cities throughout Europe over the past two decades. The inaugural NBA Europe Live drew more than 36 million viewers, 115,000 spectators, and 18 marketing partners in October 2006.
"Following the success of last year's event, fans throughout Europe will again have the opportunity to see four NBA teams embark on this special European tour," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "This collaborative effort between the NBA, Euroleague Basketball and EA Sports is committed to grow the sport of basketball across Europe and to embrace fans in each city through our NBA Cares community outreach."
As part of NBA Cares, the NBA and Adidas will conduct a series of court refurbishment and community enhancement activities in the cities where its teams will visit. During the 2006 NBA Europe Live, the NBA and Euroleague teams hosted more than 15 community events, highlighted by four basketball court refurbishments with global partner Adidas in Barcelona, Rome, Lyon and Cologne.
The 2007 NBA Europe Live will mark a special homecoming for some of the players involved including Toronto Raptors rookie Andrea Bargnani, a native of Italy. Toronto's Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa, both natives of Spain, will play in Madrid for the first time wearing a Raptors uniform. Spain's most celebrated basketball player, Pau Gasol, will make his second appearance in the country with the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis last played in Barcelona in 2003.
In addition, Toronto's Vice President and Assistant General Manager, Maurizio Gheradini will be returning home to Italy where he served as Benetton Treviso's Executive Director and General Manager for 14 years.
An NBA licensee since 1991, EA expanded its relationship with the league to become an official global marketing partner of the NBA to develop interactive basketball programmes around the world, including NBA Europe Live.
The NBA Live video game will be featured in promotion of the events throughout Europe and the US.
