The National Basketball Association and Reebok International Limited have announced a pan-Asian partnership to develop and market NBA apparel and accessories. The NBA-Reebok partnership brings together two of the sports world’s most dynamic brands across one of the fastest-growing regions in the world. The partnership marks the first time the NBA has one apparel licensee covering the Asian region.
The five-year partnership calls for Reebok to design, manufacture, sell and market official NBA apparel including jerseys and shorts, caps, practice wear, off-court lifestyle apparel and a range of related accessory items.
The first offering of the new apparel line hits selected stores in China and Hong Kong this week. The line will be expanded to other Asian markets including Japan, Taiwan, India, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Korea during the 2003-04 NBA season.
This agreement builds upon the existing 10-year strategic partnership for the US market which commenced in 2001, under which Reebok designs, manufactures, sells and markets licensed merchandise for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), the NBA’s minor league. The apparel partnership for Asia also compliments the Reebok line of NBA branded footwear, which was launched globally in November 2002.
“Reebok’s existing marketing and distribution capabilities in Asia combined with the growing popularity of the NBA will give us tremendous presence at retail in the region,” said Mike Denzel, Vice President and Managing Director of NBA Asia. “Aligning with one company for both licensed footwear and apparel will allow us to provide a unified presence to our fans throughout Asia.”
“Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports across Asia and it was important for us to be a leader in this area,” said John Chappell, Vice President and General Manager Reebok International – Asia Pacific. “Our wide-reaching relationship with the NBA and the league’s growth in Asia offers unique potential and opportunity for Reebok.” The Reebok – NBA business in the region will be handled out of the Reebok Asia Pacific Regional office in Hong Kong.
On November 1, 2002, Reebok launched its first offering of NBA-branded footwear. For the initial launch, The NBA Footwear Collection by Reebok featured two adult styles (NBA Master Link and NBA Denial), a children’s shoe and a crib shoe for infants. Additional collections will continue to be offered throughout the length of the partnership.
