Reebok International and sports marketing legend Sonny Vaccaro have entered into an agreement to create a comprehensive grassroots basketball platform designed to further connect the sports and fitness brand to the youth basketball market. Vaccaro will be Reebok's Senior Director of Grassroots Basketball and will report to Tom Shine, Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing for Reebok.
Vaccaro founded some of the most renowned and respected grassroots basketball programs in the country: the ABCD Camp, Big Time Tournament and the EA Sports Roundball Classic. As part of the agreement, Reebok will now sponsor these exciting basketball initiatives.
Vaccaro's trademark grassroots sports camp, which discovers and develops the creme de le creme of young basketball talent, will now be called the Reebok ABCD Camp. The prestigious camp was originally founded by Vaccaro in 1984 and is recognized as youth basketball's number one summer event. The next Reebok ABCD camp will run from July 8 through July 12, 2004.
Reebok and Vaccaro will also hold the largest summer high school tournament in the country, now called the Reebok Big Time Tournament. This tourney will showcase 400 teams and more than 5,000 players in Las Vegas, Nevada from July 22 through July 26, 2004.
In addition, Reebok and Vaccaro will host the EA Sports Roundball Classic, the original, first-ever high school all-star basketball game in America. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the game features the top 20 high school seniors from across the nation and will be held at the United Center, Chicago, Illinois on March 27, 2004.
Widely considered one of the most formidable forces in contemporary basketball marketing, Vaccaro has spent more than 40 years connecting with youth at the grassroots level. A keen observer of both up-and-coming talent and promising marketing opportunities, Vaccaro played an integral role in securing marketing endorsements for some of the NBA's top players.
“Grassroots basketball is one of the most exciting and relevant elements of youth culture. With Sonny on our team, we can develop this initiative to a level of significance that firmly positions Reebok for long term and sustainable growth in this critical area,” said Paul Fireman, chairman and chief executive officer, Reebok International Ltd.
“Our commitment to the NBA to enhance its brand through strategic and effective product and marketing programs has resulted in Reebok connecting to professional basketball at a level never before achieved,” continued Fireman. “We are equally as committed to building the industry's most successful grassroots basketball platform. Through his vast understanding of this culture and his love for the game, Sonny will help us achieve this goal.”
Reebok currently sponsors key grassroots basketball programs such as the EBC (Entertainers Basketball Classic) at Rucker Park, located in Harlem, New York. It is the oldest and most respected outdoor basketball tournament in the country.
At an international grassroots level, the brand hosts Reebok Eurocamp, where 18-to-20-year-old future basketball stars showcase their talents on the court. Reebok provides the players and coaches with footwear, uniforms and accessories.
In 2001, Reebok and the National Basketball Association formed a long-term strategic partnership. Currently, Reebok has the exclusive rights to design, market and sell NBA apparel for 19 of the 29 NBA teams. Beginning with the 2004-2005 season, Reebok will have the exclusive rights to create on-court for all 30 NBA teams, as the expansion Charlotte Bobcats will join the league in that season.
