Adidas yesterday signed an 11-year deal with the NBA, making the German athletic shoe company the official uniform and apparel provider for the league.
The company said the deal included providing uniforms and other products for the WNBA and the NBA Development League starting with the 2006-2007 season.
Adidas, which has been a marketing partner with the NBA since 2002, said the deal came about as a result of last year's acquisition of Reebok International Ltd, which had been the NBA's uniform and apparel provider since 2001.
The value of the deal was not immediately disclosed by Adidas or the NBA.
Reebok will continue to be a global marketing partner of the NBA and will keep its ability to create NBA branded footwear.
"As part of the Reebok integration we as a group made this strategic decision, which we believe will significantly help us to immediately increase the visibility of Adidas as a sport performance brand in the US," Adidas Group chairman and chief executive Herbert Hainer said.
"In the long term this new 11-year partnership has the power to make the NBA and Adidas synonymous in basketball," he said.
In addition to the apparel, Adidas and the NBA will also partner by increasing the number of Adidas products at the NBA Store in New York. The company said it and the league will create an in-store Adidas-NBA concept shop that will serve as a prototype for future stores worldwide.
Adidas will sell NBA products at its retail shops worldwide, including more than 2,000 in China.
"The Adidas brand is recognized for excellence in sports heritage and performance on a global basis," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "NBA and Adidas branded apparel and footwear will be available to even more fans around the world continuing our effort to expand the league's accessibility to anywhere fans can dribble a ball or watch a basketball game."
Erich Stamminger, president and CEO of the Adidas brand, called the deal a first step forward into breaking into new markets using the sport of basketball.
Previously, Adidas has been known worldwide for its sponsorship of soccer.
"This partnership deepens our relationship with a sports league that continues to soar in global popularity," Stamminger said. "We are building a foundation on which we can grow the sport of basketball globally."
The announcement came as Adidas executives gathered in London to outline their plans for Reebok. Critics contend that Adidas' US$3.8 billion acquisition of Reebok could prove difficult to reap rewards from.
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