2009 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard, and 2009 NBA Rookie of the year, Derrick Rose, head to Shanghai, China August 23–25 for the adidas Double-Double Tour. Howard and Rose are not going to China as “NBA Superstars” but as players who simply love the game and believe that Basketball is a Brotherhood.
To prove their point, these two NBA rising stars are touring China’s largest city by land and sea to recruit 50 young ballers who will help them open the adidas Brotherhood Center at Xu Jia Hui Street court, a hot-spot among basketball’s elite in a city boasting more than 20 million people. The Brotherhood Center will feature adidas branded courts created to actual NBA dimensions to give players a sense of what its like to play on the Ultimate Stage. Dwight, Derrick and their 50 new friends will help construct and unveil the Center as part of the adidas Double-Double Tour.
The Tour is anchored by an unprecedented digital initiative that has never been done in China - a plan that will bring Dwight closer to his fans in Shanghai and the millions of other fans across China than he’s ever been before. From the minute he touches down in Shanghai on August 22, he will be communicating directly with his fans through SMS messaging, photo and video blogging. Dwight will capture his personal perspective on his trip encompassing all of his and Derrick’s experiences while in Shanghai, an inside look on their trip that will be captured by no other media outlet. This content will be aggregated on adidas.com/cn and syndicated out to the most popular social spaces across China – youku.com, sohu.com and xiaonei.com.
“Dwight Howard is the most innovative athlete and marketer in the NBA today” says Ryan Morlan, Global Director of Basketball Communications. “Through his own digital obsession and dynamic personality, we set out together with Dwight to raise the bar for fan interaction by changing consumer relations with the largest basketball fan base in the world. Leveraging the latest digital technologies, Howard will be able to have a one-on-one conversation in real-time with his fans, subsequently bringing his and Derrick’s Shanghai experience to everyone across the country.”
In addition to uniting this basketball crazed nation through the belief of Brotherhood, Howard and Rose will also promote their Team Signature footwear, TS Bounce Commander and TS Lightening Creator. Howard introduced the TS Bounce Commander during the second half of the 2009 NBA Season. The TS Bounce Commander features Bounce® technology in the heel for maximum energy return and unbreakable cushioning to make every step as fresh as your first.
“Basketball’s popularity continues to grow in China and it remains our number 1 brand priority locally to drive brand image and sales.” said Paul Pi, VP of Marketing for adidas China. “Hosting Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose is a testament to our focus on the category, commitment to our NBA partnership and to the Basketball athletes across China.”
adidas has created a limited runs of the TS Bounce Commanders and TS Lightning Creators in “Yin-Yang” editions exclusively produced for China. The special edition footwear feature colors associated with Chinese tradition and represents the hip-hop culture of the 90’s. As of August 1, the special edition TS Bounce Commander and TS Lightening Creator Yin-Yang footwear is available at retail in China. For more information on the TS Bounce Commander and TS Lightning Creator footwear collection go to www.adidasbasketball.com.
About adidas
adidas has been providing innovative products for the world’s best athletes for more than 50 years, from past legends to today’s superstars, such as Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Candace Parker, Derrick Rose, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady. On April 11, 2006 adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.
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