History Of Global Outreach (2000 - Present)

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Key Dates In The History Of NBA Global Outreach

Below is a timeline that covers the history of international participation in the NBA:

Contents

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2000

NBA stars Ray Allen (Milwaukee Bucks), Grant Hill (Detroit Pistons) and Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat) were selected as the final three members of the 2000 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team, which participated in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The 12-member USA Men's Senior National Team roster consisted of the three players and nine NBA players who were announced on March 10, 1999, and who played on the gold medal winning 1999 USA Basketball Pre-Olympic Tournament of the Americas Team. Named previously to the USA Men's Senior National Team were NBA standouts: Vin Baker (Seattle SuperSonics); Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs); Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves); Tom Gugliotta (Phoenix Suns); Tim Hardaway (Miami Heat); Allan Houston (New York Knicks); Jason Kidd (Phoenix Suns); Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics) and Steve Smith (Portland Trail Blazers).

The NBA signed a licensing agreement with Far EasTone, Taiwan’s leading pre-paid telephone card provider, and launched the Far EasTone IF Card NBA Re-charge Card. It marked not only the first time NBA has worked with a telecommunications provider in Asia, but is also the first time worldwide the NBA has licensed a GSM pre-paid card service.

NBA.com TV Daily, a new global video service that provides updates and highlights from the best NBA games of the previous night direct from the NBA, became available. The satellite service provides viewers with NBA action on a daily basis, including game highlights, scores, post-game coverage, NBA updates and NBA plays of the day. Among the networks signed on to NBA.com TV Daily are Channel 5 (Israel), MTV (Lebanon), NHK (Japan), TBS (Japan), Infosport (France), Skai (Greece), Canal + (Spain), and TV3 (Spain).

NBA star Vince Carter (Toronto Raptors) was added to the 2000 USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team, which would participate in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Carter’s addition to the USA team came after previously named team member Tom Gugliotta suffered a serious knee injury on March 10 and underwent reconstructive knee surgery on March 17. Carter’s selection was made by the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Committee.

NBA Commissioner, David Stern, addressed the Chinese media via video conference at the NBA Media Spring Gathering in Beijing, China.

The National Basketball Association signed a multi-year deal with Pro Star Sports Philippines Inc. to produce, distribute and market NBA licensed apparel and accessories in the Philippines. The NBA Shop, the first of its kind in the Philippines, debuted with a Showtime fashion show at the Glorietta Activity Center in the Philippines.

NBA 2ball debuted in the Philippines. The basketball skills game developed to encourage participation from basketball fans of all ages and skill levels was presented by McDonald’s. The 2ball program here was open to the public and consisted of five weeks of exciting basketball skills competition conducted in five different SM Malls, starting on April 29 and ending on May 28.

The Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Washington Wizards at NBA México 2000. Tickets for the NBA hosted Mexico 2000 game went on sale May 12 at the Palacio box office and at all Ticketmaster locations throughout Mexico.

Six new multi-lingual public service announcements, featuring some of the NBA’s top international players, debuted around the world in May 2000. Each of the players featured in the 30-second PSAs chose to address problematic issues appropriate for their native countries. The PSAs featured Felipe Lopez (Vancouver Grizzlies), Sean Marks (Toronto Raptors), Predrag Stojakovic (Sacramento Kings), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets), and Gheorge Muresan (New Jersey Nets).

The second season of the T-D1 NBA Basketball Challenge, presented by the NBA and T-Mobil, began a nine-city tour in Bonn, Germany on May 20-21, 2000. Dallas Mavericks forward, German-born, Dirk Nowitzki was the official spokesperson for the tour and made an appearance at the Hamburg event, June 24-25.

NBA Hoop-It-Up 2000 Slam Dunks into Calgary, Canada. The 3-on-3 Basketball event made its inaugural visit May 27-28. Hoops players strut their stuff in the streets of Calgary on May 27 and.

A team representing the NBDL was one of six teams competing in the 2000 Asian Basketball Association League. The team called the NBA Ambassadors led by Hall of Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald, was one of two squads representing Hong Kong that competed in a six-week 20-game regular season against teams from China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan from June 8 to July 7.

A record fourteen internationally born players were chosen in the NBA Draft 2000, held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A record seven of the 14 players were selected in the first round.

Mike Jones, Rasul Salahuddin, and Wayman Strickland led the NBA Ambassadors to a 103-68 victory over China’s CBA All-Stars in the decisive third game of the Asian Basketball Association League championship series. The NBA Ambassadors, coached by Hall of Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald, represented the NBA’s new developmental league (the National Basketball Developmental League) in the six-team ABAL.

Vancouver Grizzlies forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim was named to the 2000 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team, which participated in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Abdur-Rahim's addition to the USA team came after previously named team member Grant Hill withdrew from the team because of a broken ankle suffered April 25 during the NBA Playoffs. Abdur-Rahim's selection was made by the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Committee.

A two-week NBA 2ball tournament was launched in Taiwan on July 28. NBA 2ball, presented by McDonald’s in Taiwan, was open to the public and the two-week competition was conducted in Taichung and Taipei July 28-August 8. In addition to NBA 2ball, NBA Jam Session, the NBA’s premier interactive fan event, showcased some of its most popular attractions. It represented the largest NBA event ever held in Taiwan to date.

Sacramento Kings Guard, Jason Williams traveled to Taiwan to participate in the Hip Hoop Club/MTV Party which consisted of a 2-on-2 basketball contest with fans and a dribbling demonstration.

Orlando Magic star Forward, Grant Hill returned to Asia to tour Taiwan, Philippines and Hong Kong as part of a grassroots effort to promote the sport of basketball.

The NBA Jam Session made its first visit to the city of Lisbon, Portugal. San Antonio Spurs guard Mario Elie was the official spokesperson for the NBA Jam Session August 9-13. The NBA Jam Session is a fun-filled event that captures the sights and sounds of the NBA through interactive basketball activities.

The NBA Legends Tour, featuring a star-studded team of former NBA players including Clyde Drexler, Buck Williams and Rolando Blackman led by Head Coach Rick Barry returned to China in August with a series of games against the Sydney Olympic bound Chinese Men’s National Basketball team. Three international exhibition games were staged in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai against the Chinese Men’s National Basketball team which served as final preparation for China National team to get a medal in Sydney. The first game was played in Beijing on Aug 11 and the NBA Legends took a 79-73 win over the China National Team. The second game was played in Guangzhou on Aug 14 and Eddie Johnson scored 21 points to lead the NBA Legends to a 90-77 victory. The NBA Legends lost to China 79-60 in the finale of the three-game series in Shanghai on Aug 17.

Orlando Magic forward Tracy McGrady and Milwaukee Bucks forward Tim Thomas visited Manila, Philippines and met streetball champions from different parts of Asia at the Asian Streetball Challenge.

Boston Celtics Forward Paul Pierce flew to the Philippines to play hoops with fans at the Asian 3-on-3 Finals.

NBA head coaches Rudy Tomjanovich (Houston Rockets) and Larry Brown (Philadelphia 76ers) joined their fellow Team USA coaches Gene Keady and Tubby Smith in Australia's first NBA Coaches Clinic on September 11 at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Over 300 Australian coaches attended the two-hour session.

The United States Men’s Olympic team beat France 85-75, to capture the Gold Medal at the Sydney Olympics. The team, comprised of Shareem Abdur-Kahim, Ray Allen, Vin Baker, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Tim Hardaway, Allan Houston, Jason Kidd, Antonio McDyess, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton and Steve Smith, is the third-ever Olympic team comprised solely of NBA players. The United States Womens basketball team won gold when they beat the Australian Basketball team. The U.S team, comprised of mostly WNBA players, were able to defend their gold medal by beating the host country’s team 76-54.

Naismith Cup, the annual all-Canada preseason game at the Corel Center in Ottawa, Ontario brought a victory for the Toronto Raptors over the Vancouver Grizzles with a score of 97-92.

Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Washington Wizards at the NBA Mexico 2000. A 17,824 crowd arrived at the Palacio de los Deportes to watch the 76ers preseason 84-80 victory over the Wizards.

The NBA hit a record number of international players with 46 NBA players from 28 countries and territories outside of North America.

NBA 2ball tips off across Europe in Spain, UK, Italy and Germany. This was a sweepstakes competition where the winners, accompanied by their teachers, competed for a grand prize four-day trip to Washington DC for NBA All-Star 2001, which included NBA Jam Session, NBA All-Star Saturday and the NBA All-Star game.

Jerome Moiso of the Boston Celtics and Tariq Abdul-Wahad of the Denver Nuggets become the first players hailing from France to ever compete against each other in an NBA game at Boston’s Fleet Center.

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2001

The NBDL "Ambassadors," coached by Nate "Tiny" Archibald, participated in the 6th Annual South American League Basketball Championship. The select group of players competed throughout Argentina and Brazil, where they also took part in community relations efforts, such as clinics, autograph signings and press events. Brazilian team Flamengo defeated the Ambassadors during the quarterfinals.

The NBA and ESPN held the first-ever “NBA All Star 2001 Million Dollar Shot” in Taipei, Taiwan. Former New Jersey Heat Net Coach Don Casey hosted a special training session for the 8 finalists of the challenge.

The NBA Madness mall tour, an interactive traveling road show featuring a variety of basketball games traveled to Manila, Iloilo and Cebu of Philippines attracted 2,800 participants over four weekends and approximately 10,000 spectators per weekend.

The United Nations (UN) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) jointly announced Eduardo Najera of the Dallas Mavericks as the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Sports Against Drugs and was featured in an anti-drug public service campaign. The television spot featured Najera denouncing drug abuse and promoting sports participation. "Not much has changed since I grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico. There are still young boys and girls with their whole lives ahead of them, facing difficult decisions," said Najera in the PSA. “I had a dream to be a professional basketball player, but that’s not why I avoided drugs. I avoided drugs so I could give myself a greater opportunity in life.” Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings was last year’s Ambassador.

Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks made history as the first NBA player from China when he signed with the Mavericks on April 4 and played his first NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 5 where he scored six points. In his first season, he averaged 4.8 points, 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game and scored a total of 24 points in five games. Selected by Dallas in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft (36th selection overall), Wang is one of China's most promising basketball players.

New York Knicks center Luc Longley, a native of Australia, was featured in a new worldwide public service announcement against child abuse that debuted around the world including in his native land. “I'm 7 foot 2 and 135 kilograms. There are probably a lot of kids who wish they were as big as I am,” Longley said in the PSA. “Not because they want to play basketball, it's so they can protect themselves from an abusive parent. If you want to get physical with your kid, give 'em a hug.”

Don Casey, former coach of the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers, took part in NBA Training 2001 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Coach Casey conducted a series of basketball clinics for Bosnian youth April 30 in Banja Luke, May 1 in Tuzia and May 2 in Sarajevo. More than 500 young people from all ethnic backgrounds participated in this event, which was intended to foster mutual ties between the United States and the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina, while strengthening relations among the people within Bosnia-Herzegovina. In addition to holding two clinics per day, Coach Casey visited orphanages in each city and met with local sports figures and coaches at events hosted by the U.S. Embassy.

  • June, 2001

NBA Hoop-It-Up tour, NBA’s official 3-on-3 basketball event, toured Canadian cities throughout June. Hoop-It-Up was created to encourage the game of basketball throughout the world. Participants aged eight or over form teams and participate in tournament divisions ranging from recreational to elite. In addition to the competitive hoops action, each event features activities for players and spectators, including clinics, shooting contests, slam dunk competitions and the NBA Dribble and Drive Challenge.

Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks, Antawn Jamison of the Golden State Warriors, Jerome Williams of the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks Assistant Coach Donn Nelson Jr., participated in the NBA-CBA Friendship Tour. Coach Nelson Jr. conducted a two-day coaching clinic for over 100 basketball coaches from Beijing. Jamison and Williams teamed up with CBA players Jiao Jian and Zhang Yuan Song from to treat 1,500 specially invited young Chinese fans to a wide-ranging demonstration of basketball skills. The first major sporting event ever held in the Forbidden City, the demonstration was capped off by a team game of “H-O-R-S-E,” including an impromptu slam-dunk competition between the two NBA forwards.

Jalen Rose visited three Latin American cities a part of a promotional tour sponsored by Reebok. In Mexico City, Caracas and Santo Domingo, the visit included a youth clinic, news conference and autograph session at a marquee trailer.

The T-D1 NBA Basketball Challenge tipped off by visiting nine cities in Germany. Open to players of all ages and abilities, the T-D1 NBA Basketball Challenge is a 5-on-5 outdoor basketball tournament, which has attracted over 29,000 competitors in the past two years. The finalists of the top divisions from each tour city automatically qualified for the National Finals, in Berlin. Thirteen winners from the challenge, traveled to Dallas, Texas, for a Dallas Mavericks game and an opportunity to meet national hero Dirk Nowitzki, a native of Würzburg, Germany. The winners attended the Mavericks game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, March 3, and also met with Nowitzki, one of the rising stars of the National Basketball Association.

Sacramento’s Vlade Divac and Atlanta’s Toni Kukoc, natives of Yugoslavia and Croatia, respectively, headed a group of nine NBA players who conducted a basketball camp in Treviso, Italy June 29 – July 2. The inaugural camp, Basketball without Borders, was for players aged 12-14 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia in conjunction with FIBA, the NBA and the United Nations.

  • August, 2001

Participants across Canada tested their dribbling, jumping, passing and shooting abilities in the NBA Dribble and Drive Challenge, a free basketball festival featuring games and skills competitions. Participants received scores based on their performances and could compare them to NBA players and Challenge participants from across Canada by checking the national results on the Nike National Scoreboard at NBA.com/Canada.

L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant traveled to Hong Kong and Beijing, China to promote the sport of basketball.

Eleven of the NBA’s top players competed and won the gold medal in the USA Basketball’s Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. The team included Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies); Baron Davis (Charlotte Hornets); Marc Jackson (Golden State Warriors); Rashard Lewis (Seattle SuperSonics); Mark Madsen (Los Angeles Lakers); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets); Andre Miller (Cleveland Cavaliers); Mike Miller (Orlando Magic); Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers); Wally Szczerbiak (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Jason Terry (Atlanta Hawks).

For the first time in NBA history, the NBA was forced to cancel its preseason games outside the United States after terrorist attacks on Washington and New York City on Sept. 11. A total of six games slated to take place in Japan, Italy, Germany and Mexico were canceled.

A record 52 international players from 31 countries and territories were featured on opening day rosters for NBA teams for the 2001-02 season.

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2002

Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks was honored with a set of legal tender stamps that were unveiled for the first time at a special event at the NBA Store. This tribute to Wang, China’s first NBA player, is part of the Legends of Sports postage stamp series issued by the government of Liberia and produced by IGPC, the world’s largest postal agency that represents more than 70 governments worldwide. In recognition of his contributions to the sport of basketball and as China’s first NBA player, he was immortalized on a commemorative series of postage stamps that are legal tender and valid for postage globally.

International rookie sensations Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies (Spain) and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs (France) headed the list of players selected to participate in the 2002 ‘got milk?’ Rookie Challenge on NBA All-Star Saturday, February 9 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia. In addition, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenkio (Russia), Detroit’s Zeljko Rebraca (Yugoslavia) joined Gasol and Parker on the Rookie team while Sacramento’s Hidayet Turkoglu (Turkey) played for the Sophomore team. The group made up a record number of international players to compete in the annual All-Star Weekend event.

A record 20 international players from 17 countries took part in the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in Philadelphia. The 2002 NBA All-Star Game featured five international players, including: Steve Nash/Dallas Mavericks/Canada; Dirk Nowitzki/Dallas Mavericks/Germany; Peja Stojakovic/Sacramento Kings/Yugoslavia; Tim Duncan/San Antonio Spurs/US Virgin Isles; Dikembe Mutombo/Philadelphia 76ers/Congo.

Mengke Bateer became the second player from China to play in the NBA when he joined the Denver Nuggets and recorded three rebounds in 14 minutes of Denver;s 110-93 loss at Golden State.

The first Asian media tour was arranged to support the growing popularity of basketball across Asia. It visited Dallas and Denver and featured in-depth reports on Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer.

When the 2002 NBA Playoffs tipped-off, NBA team rosters featured a record 26 international players. When Sacramento played Dallas in the Western Conference semifinals, a record eight international players were featured in the matchup which gained global attention.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol of Spain was named the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year. Gasol gained 117 of the 124 votes for the award.

The NBA Dribble and Drive Challenge, a free basketball festival featuring interactive games and skills competitions, tipped off its 2002 tour in Montreal, Quebec. The tour stopped in 16 cities and communities across Canada.

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands was named the 2002 NBA Most Valuable Player.

A goodwill tour, featuring Denver Nuggets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe, Assistant Coach Clyde Drexler, forward Antonio McDyess, guard/forward George McCloud and forward Donnell Harvey, as well as SuperMascot Rocky and members of the Nuggets dance team, visited various United States military bases across Europe.

The eight-city NBA Hoop-It-Up 3-on-3 basketball tournament began its summer tour in Calgary, Alberta. In 2002, the first ever NBA Hoop-It-Up event was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The fourth annual NBA Basketball Challenge took place in Germany on June 1-July 21. The event was sponsored by Sprite and toured seven German cities, attracting over 200,000 spectators and 11,700 players. Open to players of all ages and skill levels the Challenge featured competitive 5-on-5 full-court outdoor basketball games with referees. One of the highlights of the tour was the appearance of Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki at the tour finals in Berlin.

NBA Madness, a traveling NBA grassroots tour of Taiwan, visited six schools and three shopping malls in Taipei, Taichung, Kaoshiung from June 3 to 23. The event featured three competitive basketball challenges for players of all ages and abilities. Six Laker Girls were invited for an exclusive Grand Finale performance on June 29-30.

A record 17 international players were selected in the 2002 NBA Draft, held at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Yao Ming of China was selected by the Houston Rockets with the No. 1 pick while other top picks included Nikoloz Tskitishvili of Rep. of Georgia (No. 5 to Denver Nuggets) and Nene Hilario of Brazil (No. 7 to New York, but traded to Denver).

NBA.com provided comprehensive coverage of the NBA Draft 2002 in Chinese. This marked the first time a major professional sports league in the U.S. provided a complete site in Chinese.

The second annual basketball camp, Basketball without Borders, took place in Istanbul, Turkey July 4-7. The basketball camp featured NBA players and professional European basketball players as coaches and mentors to 48 Greek and Turkish basketball players ages 12-14. The list of players included: Antonis Fotsis (Memphis Grizzlies); Ibrahim Kutluay (Panathinaikos BSA Athens); Theodoros Papaloukas (Olympiakos); Dimitri Papanikolau (Olympiakos); Vladimir Radmanovic (Seattle SuperSonics); Peja Stojakovic (Sacramento Kings); Kerem Tunceri (Efes Pilsen); Mirsad Turkan (CSKA Moscow) and Turkish native Hedo Turkoglu (Sacramento Kings).

Three of the NBA’s most popular Latin players returned to their native countries as part of the “Latinos Unidos Tour 2002” to stage youth clinics, autograph sessions and media events, intended to highlight their success in the league and their role model status for Hispanic youths. Dominican guard Felipe Lopez of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Venezuelan guard Oscar Torres of the Houston Rockets tipped-off the tour in Caracas, Venezuela on July 25, followed by a visit to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on July 26-27. Puerto Rican guard Carlos Arroyo of the Denver Nuggets joined the pair on July 28 for two days of activities in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rockets assistant coach Mike Wells also traveled with the group to assist with the clinics.

Vince Carter was invited by Nike to visit Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei. The main objective for this trip was to express Carter’s support for China youth basketball. Carter donated a basketball backboard to China Basketball Association (CBA) and then was featured as a judge for a youth slam-dunk contest at the National Badminton Training Hall.

The NBA announces the first NBA preseason game in the Dominican Republic. NBA República Dominicana 2002 featured the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 11 at the Palacio de los Deportes in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Miami vs. Minnesota was the 19th game organized by the NBA in Latin America since 1992.

The Yahoo! Sports NBA Rhythm 'n Rims tour presented by Reebok, the NBA's premier interactive basketball and music tour, visited Toronto, Ontario.

The search for Germany’s basketball stars of the future began on August 3 with the start of the inaugural Sprite DNBA (Dirk Nowitzki Basketball Academy). This event tested basketball players skills at weekend camps held in six different German cities. NBA assistant coaches were on-site to select the best players to attend the ‘Final Academy’ held in Dirk Nowitzki’s home-town of Würzburg. Nowitzki attended the final to help select the five lucky players who each won a trip to the US.

The USA squad played a pair of exhibition games during its training, meeting the Chinese World Championship Team at the soldout Arena in Oakland on Thursday, Aug. 22 (USA 84, China 54) and the German World Championship Team at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland on Sunday, Aug. 25 (USA 91, Germany 73).

Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons visited Taipei for the NBA Block Party. It was an open air activity in the tradition of American block party, combining music and street basketball with the two NBA players joining in the action. Five lucky fans in Taiwan won a trip to the US to watch Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves in action.

The United States World Championship team lost to Argentina, Yugoslavia and Spain at the 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championship for Men in Indianapolis, Indiana, Aug. 29- Sept. 8, 2002. USA Basketball's 2002 Men's World Championship Team won its first five games in the 2002 World Championship in impressive style, but then stumbled in three of its last four games to finish a disappointing 6-3 and in sixth place. Yugoslavia, led by NBA All-Stars Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic won the gold medal in a thrilling overtime win over Argentina. The 12-member USA World Championship Team included NBA standouts such as Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Antonio Davis (Toronto Raptors); Baron Davis (New Orleans Hornets); Michael Finley (Dallas Mavericks); Raef LaFrentz (Dallas Mavericks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Andre Miller (Los Angeles Clippers); Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers); Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); Ben Wallace (Detroit Pistons) and Jay Williams (Chicago Bulls). Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl was the head coach of USA Basketball's 2002 World Championship Team. The 14th FIBA World Basketball Championship was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, marking the first time in the event's 52 year history that the prestigious event had been held in the United States.

The United States Women’s World Championship team won the gold medal in a thrilling 79-74 win over Russia in Nanjing, China. Sheryl Swoopes led the team with 18 points while Tamika Catchings added 16 points, 11 rebounds and six steals in the effort. Russia’s Elena Baranova (a former WNBA star) led Russia in their impressive silver medal performance. Australia, behind Lauren Jackson’s (Seattle Storm) 31 points, took the Bronze.

The NBA officially opened an office in Beijing, China (NBA China, Inc.).

The NBA 2002-03 season featured a record 68 international players from 36 countries on opening day rosters.

With the arrival of Chinese players Wang Zhizhi, Mengke Bateer and Yao Ming, the 2002 NBA Draft overall number one draft pick, there was a significant increase in traffic to NBA.com from Chinese-speaking NBA fans. Visitors from China accounted for almost five percent of all traffic to NBA.com, the second highest among international visitors to the site.

Yao Ming became the third player to play in the NBA when he played his first regular season game against the Indiana Pacers on October 30, 2002.

The NBA renewed television agreements with many long-time international partners including NHK (Japan), TV Azteca (Mexico), Canal + (Spain), Canal + (France), CCTV (China) and ESPN Star Sports (Asia). This season, NBA games and programming are televised to a record 212 countries in 42 languages via 148 different telecasters. A record 12 telecasters from China will provide unprecedented NBA coverage to their region. For the first time ever the NBA will be seen on NTV (Turkey), Deportes 13 (Puerto Rico), Telesport (Romania), Lider TV (Azerbaijan), Channel 31 (Kazakhstan), TVM (Mozambique), Saudi Sports Channel (Saudi Arabia) and Telemundo (United States). The league has also renewed deals with many prominent international telecasters this season, including CTV (Taiwan), ATV (Hong Kong), PPVJ (Japan), Sport TV (Portugal), Deportes en La Cumbre (Dominican Republic) and Channel 2 (Iceland).

The 2003 NBA All-Star ballots were made available for the first-time in three languages Chinese, Spanish and English on NBA.com for fans around the globe. Instructions for the All-Star ballots were available in an additional eight languages.

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2003

  • February 8-9, 2003 (NBA All-Star Weekend)

A record 6 international players participated in the 2003 got milk? Rookie Challenge on NBA All-Star Saturday, February 8: Memphis Grizzlies guard Gordan Giricek (Croatia), Denver Nuggets forward Nene Hilario (Brazil) and Los Angeles Clippers forward Marko Jaric (Yugoslavia) competed on the Rookie team while Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol (Spain), Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (France) played on the Sophomore team. Jaric replaced the injured San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (Argentina) who was to replace Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (China), who started in the NBA All-Star Game. A record 6 international players participated in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 9: Dallas Mavericks guard Steve Nash (Canada) and forward Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Lithuania) San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Yao and Sacramento Kings forward Peja Stojakovic (Yugoslavia), who replaced injured teammate Chris Webber. Yao Ming was the first Asian and Ilgauskas was the first Lithuanian. Stojakovic successfully defended his title in the 1 800 CALL ATT Shootout joining Larry Bird, Craig Hodges, Mark Price and Jeff Hornacek as the only repeat winners of the competition. Parker participated in the 989 Sports Skills Challenge. Los Angeles Clippers forward Marko Jaric (Yugoslavia) took part in the Jeep All-Star Hoop-It-Up.

NBA Latin America held its second annual "Noche Latina" during the celebration of NBA All-Star 2003. At the reception, more than 700 VIP guests, including business partners, NBA executives and NBA stars Pau Gasol (Spain), Nene Hilário (Brazil) and Felipe López (Dominican Republic), enjoyed an exclusive two-hour music performance by Puerto Rican salsa megastar Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Yao Ming became the first Asian to participate in the NBA All Star Game after fans voted for him as the starting center for the West.

  • February 11, 2003

To support the growing interest around the world, NBA.com has eight international Web sites that include Canada (NBA.com/canada), China (NBA.com/china), Espanol (NBA.com/espanol), France (NBA.com/france), Germany (NBA.com/germany), Japan (NBA.com/japan), Taiwan (NBA.com/taiwan), and the United Kingdom (NBA.com/uk). With 65 international players from 34 countries and territories on NBA rosters this season, the NBA is one of the most popular U.S. based sports internationally and the first professional sports league in the U.S. to offer international web destinations for fans.

The second annual European media tour took place with 10 media members visiting Dallas and San Antonio to promote international story lines and featured exclusive interviews with international players

To support the growing popularity of basketball across Asia, the second Asian media tour (eight media from China and Hong Kong) visited Los Angeles, Houston and San Antonio and featured exclusive interviews with Yao Ming and Steve Francis.

Denver Nuggets forward-center Nene Hilario, a native of Brazil, was featured in a new public service announcement that debuted around the world in April to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Produced by NBA Entertainment in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the 30-second PSA was broadcast around the world through NBA games and programming.

When the NBA Playoffs 2003 tipped off on April 19, team rosters featured a record 29 international players from 19 countries and territories. Almost every team competing in the Playoffs featured one or more international players. The NBA Playoffs 2003 featured 10 international players in the Eastern Conference and 19 in the Western Conference. The Dallas Mavericks had the most international players on a Playoff roster with five. In 2002, there were 26 international players from 17 countries and territories in the NBA Playoffs.

NBA Madness, a traveling NBA grassroots tour for basketball players of all ages and abilities, returned to Taiwan for the second year. The Tour featured two programs: an educational tour (April 25-May 20); and a segment for the public that visited shopping malls in Taichung (July 10-13), Kaoshiung (July 19-20) and Taipei (July 26-27). The champion teams of the three districts competed in the Grand Finale in Taipei on July 27 for a free trip to watch an NBA game in the US and for the “NBA Madness Scholarship” of NTD 50,000 for their school. Six Warrior Girls were invited to perform at the opening ceremony in Taichung.

NBA Madness traveled to the Philippines, visiting six SM SuperMalls in Metro Manila, Cavite and Pampanga. The Grande Finale was at the SM Megamall on July 4 to 6 and headlined with six of the Warrior Girls. Their first ever performance and dance clinic in the Philippines attracted thousands of people to the mall.

San Antonio Spurs center Mengke Bateer was featured in a public service announcement promoting a clean environment.

Argentina’s Manu Ginobili and France’s Tony Parker share in the celebration of the San Antonio Spurs’ victory over the New Jersey Nets in the 2003 NBA Finals. The two players became the first from their respective countries to win an NBA Championship.

In the NBA Draft 2003, a record 21 international players from 13 countries were selected.

NBA players Tony Parker (France/San Antonio Spurs), Pau Gasol (Spain/Memphis Grizzlies), Andrei Kirilenko (Russia/Utah Jazz), Marko Jaric (Serbia and Montenegro/Los Angeles Clippers), Bostjan Nachbar (Slovenia/Houston Rockets), and Nikoloz Tskitishvili (Georgia/Denver Nuggets) participated in the third annual Basketball without Borders basketball camp in Treviso, Italy. The NBA partnered with UNICEF for the first time to promote leadership and HIV/AIDS education and prevention to the pan-European group of fifty15-17 year-olds chosen to partake in the camp.

Argentine Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs) and Brazilian Nene Hilario (Denver Nuggets) participated in the second annual Latinos Unidos Tour to their native countries for basketball clinics, autograph sessions and media events. San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer joined the two players in the Sprite-sponsored tour to share their success with local fans.

The Pan-American Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dikembe Mutombo of the New Jersey Nets led a contingent of NBA players and coaches on a trip to South Africa. The event brought together over 100 young basketball players from 19 African countries and incorporated basketball skills instruction with educational programs. NBA Legend Bob Lanier helped dedicate a Reading and Learning Center at the Ithuteng Trust, a local school for youth. The event marked the third trip by the NBA to Africa.

Utah Jazz 90 – Dallas Mavericks 85 The international schedule began with NBA Mexico 2003, a preseason game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz, at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico on October 5. It marked a return home for Mexico’s native son, Eduardo Najera, as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Since 1992, the NBA has staged 15 games in Mexico at the site of the ’68 Olympic Games, the Palacio de los Deportes

Miami Heat 86 – Philadelphia 76ers 79 (OT) The schedule continued on to San Juan, Puerto Rico with NBA Puerto Rico 2003, a preseason game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat, on October 7. This marked the fourth time since 1993 that the NBA has played an exhibition game in Puerto Rico.

San Antonio Spurs 105 – Memphis Grizzlies 93 The NBA Europe Games 2003 featured a preseason game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies at Bercy Arena in Paris, France on October 8. San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker returned home to his native France for the first time with his NBA team. The NBA’s last visit to Paris was in 1997, when the Chicago Bulls participated in the McDonald’s Championship.

Memphis Grizzlies 91 – FC Barcelona 80 The Memphis Grizzlies went on to play an exhibition game against 2003 Euroleague Champions FC Barcelona at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain on October 10. The game featured Memphis Grizzlies star forward Pau Gasol, a native of Barcelona, Spain, playing against his former team. The NBA’s last game in the Barcelona area was in 1994, when the Golden State Warriors defeated Joventut Badalona 122-104 at the Olmpico Pavello de Badalona in Badalona, Spain.

The 2003-04 NBA season tipped off with a record 73 international players from 34 countries and territories on team rosters.

The Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics opened their 2003-04 NBA regular season schedules with two games at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Thursday, October 30 and Saturday, November 1. The Seattle SuperSonics won Game 1 109-100 and Game 2 124-105. For the first time in NBA Japan Games history, the NBA hosted the event at the Saitama Super Arena, the venue for the 2006 FIBA World Basketball Championship for Men. This was the second visit to Japan for each team.

[edit]

2004

The 2004 got milk? Rookie Challenge on NBA All-Star Saturday, February 14 featured 4 international players: San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Denver Nuggets forward Nene (Brazil), Los Angeles Clippers guard Marko Jaric (Serbia and Montenegro) and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (China) competed on the Sophomore team.

For the second consecutive year, 6 international players took part in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 15: New Orleans Hornets center Jamaal Magloire (Canada), Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (China), San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and [[Sacramento [Kings]] forward Peja Stojakovic (Serbia and Montenegro).

Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, a native of Russia, and his wife Masha, Russian actress/singer, will be featured in a new public service announcement to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and education, it was announced today by the National Basketball Association. Produced by NBA Entertainment in conjunction with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the 30-second PSA will debut in February and will be broadcast in Russian through NBA games and programming. The couple was also announced as UNICEF spokespeople for Russia.

The NBA opened an office in Shanghai, China. NBA Properties Shanghai Representative Office 35/F CITIC square 1168 Nanjing Road West, Shanghai 200041 China.

The NBA and FIBA announced the expansion of Basketball without Borders, a joint international community outreach program, on March 31 at a press conference at the NBA Store. The basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education, will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 28-July 3 (Latin America); Treviso, Italy, July 24-27 (Europe) ; and Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 6-10 (Africa). The event took place with New York Knicks center Dikembe Mutombo representing Basketball without Borders Americas and Africa, former NBA center Gheorghe Muresan representing Basketball without Borders Europe and former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Felipe Lopez representing Basketball without Borders Americas.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Orlando Magic forward-center Zaza Pachulia, Portland Trail Blazers center Vladimir Stepania and Denver Nuggets forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State, will donate basketball products to their former basketball academies in their native Georgia, it was announced today at a press conference at the World Sport Café in Tbilisi, Georgia at 4:00 p.m. (local).

When the NBA Playoffs tip-off on April 17, team rosters feature a record 30 international players from 21 countries and territories. Almost every team competing in the Playoffs feature one or more international players. The NBA Playoffs feature 10 international players in the Eastern Conference and 20 in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs have the most international players on a Playoff roster with five. In 2003, there were 29 international players from 19 countries and territories in the Playoffs.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSEL) announced today they will be combining resources as part of their continuing efforts to build the sport of basketball and the popularity of the Toronto Raptors and the NBA across Canada.

The NBA Asia office hosted a viewing party on in Shanghai, China April 24, 2004 9:00 to 1:00 p.m. (local) at the Star East Restaurant and Bar. The Playoffs Viewing Party featured more than 350 fans to cheer on Yao Ming’s first Playoff victory in the first round against the Los Angeles Lakers. VIPs included Qiu Weichang - Vice President of the SH Administration of Sports, Li Yaomin - General Manager of the SH Sharks, Victor Koo – Sohu, Poly Choy – Reebok, Reako Xu – Kodak, and the coach and team members of the Shanghai Shark Junior team. Scenes from the party were transmitted to STV via ENG and shown LIVE during game broadcast.

  • May 1, 2004: Euroleague Final Four, Tel Aviv, Israel (Nokia Arena)

Euroleague crowns new champion Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Skipper Bologna 118-74 in a record-breaking show never before seen in European basketball. Maccabi won with the most points by the biggest difference ever, going back almost 50 years since the start of European pro basketball. Before one of the most euphoric crowds in basketball history, Maccabi made a dream of the entire country of Israel come true without any bit of suspense. From the opening tap, Maccabi ruled its home floor at Nokia Arena, soaring to a 25-point halftime lead and never looking back. It marked the fourth time that Maccabi has lifted a cup as a continental champion. Though it had a home crowd of 10,458 was fully behind it, Maccabi took nothing for granted. Its 55 first-half points was a record in the Final Four era, and it's defense was just as impressive. FINAL: Maccabi 118 vs. Skipper 74 Third Place: Montepaschi 94 vs. CSKA 97 Semifinals April 29: Montepaschi vs. 102 Skipper 103 7 Maccabi 93 vs. CSKA 85

Game first announced on March 30. The Detroit Shock and San Antonio Silver Stars participate in the first-ever WNBA game hosted outside the United States, as the teams square off at Arena de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico on May 6 at 8 p.m. CT. The Detroit Shock defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars 75-57.

The Playoffs Viewing in Beijing featured more than 250 fans at the Sports City Bar for Game 5 between the Wolves and Kings The half-time entertainment featured Chinese rapper using "Kings & Wolves" and "NBA China Games" theme in their lyrics to work up the crowd. They were accompanied by playground ballers showcasing flashy ball handling skills.

As part of the Destination Finals international promotion the Larry O’Brien trophy traveled to visit with NBA international television partners K (BSKYB) and Germany (Premiere).

Michael Jordan tours Beijing on behalf of Nike.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy makes stops at tourist sites across Beijing including the Great Wall of China.

NBA Playoffs 2004 Viewing Party (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia): NBA and ESPN team up stage the “Basketball Extravaganza”, a viewing for Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 followed by the Spalding 3-on-3 challenge, at Sunway Extreme Park. The event attracts 450 participants, including Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports (during viewing party) and Deputy of State (during 3-on-3) 2 Groups performed break dance and aerobic dance during breaks and timeouts in each quarter.

The Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 to become the 2004 NBA Champions. The Piston’s featured two international players Darko Milicic (Serbia and Montenegro) and Mehmet Okur (Turkey), who became the first player from Turkey to win an NBA Championship.

In the NBA Draft 2004, there were 20 international players drafted with eight in the first round. It did not break the previous record set in the NBA Draft 2003 when 21 international players were selected with nine in the first round.

Brazilian natives Denver Nuggets center Nenê and Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa lead a contingent of current and former NBA players and coaching personnel to serve as coaches for Basketball without Borders Americas, which will take place June 28 to July 3, 2004 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The program features extensive community outreach and incorporates educational seminars addressing important social issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention and education for the top 50 young players from over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Boston Celtics forward-guard Jiri Welsch (Czech Republic), Los Angeles Lakers forward Stanislav Medvedenko (Ukraine), Seattle SuperSonics forward-center Vitaly Potapenko (Ukraine) and Former NBA center Gheorghe Muresan (Romania) serve as coaches for Basketball without Borders Europe, which will take place July 24-27, 2004 in Treviso, Italy.

A contingent of current and former NBA players including New York Knicks center Dikembe Mutombo (Congo) and coaching personnel from 10 different NBA teams as coaches for Basketball without Borders Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. The program features extensive community outreach and incorporates educational seminars addressing important social issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention and education for the top 100 young players from more than 20 African countries.

The [[]Utah Jazz]] will play a preseason game against CSKA, the former team of its star forward and Russian native Andrei Kirilenko, it was announced today by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Russian Basketball Federation. This marks the NBA’s return to Russia since 1988 when the Atlanta Hawks became the first NBA team to play in the Soviet Union when they defeated the Soviet Georgia All-Stars, 85-84, in an exhibition game as part of their July 20-31 tour.

October 14, 2004 The first-ever NBA games in China will take place October 14 and 17 when the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings play preseason games in Beijing and Shanghai. The National Basketball Association will be the first American professional sports league to stage games in China. The historic NBA China Games 2004 will be played on October 14 in Shanghai at the Shanghai Stadium with a capacity of 11,500 seats, and on [[October 17] in Beijing at the Capital Stadium with a capacity of 17,500 seats. Both stadiums will be newly renovated for the games. Tickets for the games are scheduled to go on sale in June.

The NBA 2004-05 season tipped off on November 2, 2004 with a record of 81 international players from 35 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and injured). This breaks the previous record of 73 international players from 34 countries and territories were on NBA opening day rosters (both active and injured) for the NBA 2003-04 season.

Yuta Tabuse became the first player from Japan to play in the NBA. He made his debut with the Phoenix Suns during the regular season game against the Atlanta Hawks. In his 10 minutes of playing time, he totaled seven points including a three-pointer from long range. He was waived on December 18.

New eight-year global partnership announced with Russell Corporation, marketers of Spalding basketballs and Huffy Sports backboards, marking the largest equipment deal in sports. As the Official Basketball of the NBA since 1983, the Spalding NBA Game Ball will continue to be the only basketball used during all NBA practices, exhibitions, games and international competitions. The Official Backboard of the NBA since 1973, Huffy Sports will manufacture several lines of NBA backboards featuring the Spalding and Huffy Sports brand names for both recreational and competitive play.

[edit]

2005

A new multi-year strategic marketing partnership agreement announced with Li-Ning sports brand. Under the agreement, Li-Ning will feature select NBA players in its advertising efforts and utilize the league’s extensive marketing and media assets in the China market to promote the Li-Ning brand and help market Li-Ning footwear

The 2004 got milk? Rookie Challenge and the 2004 NBA All-Star Game featured 10 international players. The 2004 got milk? Rookie Challenge on NBA All-Star Saturday, February 14 featured 4 international players: San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Denver Nuggets forward Nene (Brazil), Los Angeles Clippers guard Marko Jaric (Serbia and Montenegro) and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (China) will compete on the Sophomore team. The 2004 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 15 featured 6 international players for the second consecutive year: New Orleans Hornets center Jamaal Magloire (Canada), Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (China), San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and Sacramento Kings forward Peja Stojakovic (Serbia and Montenegro).

The NBA launched the first-ever NBA Fan Day voting on NBA.com/China. NBA fans in China could vote for their favorite game and watch the game of their choice. The NBA game match-up with the most votes was carried live by CCTV5 nationwide on April 2, 2005 (Beijing Time). NBA Fan Day voting on NBA.com/China was presented together by Sohu.com, CCTV 5 and Red Bull Red Bull Vitamin Drink Co., Ltd. More than 20,000 fans cast their votes on NBA.com/china from March 18 – 23rd, with the New Orleans @ Houston match-up receiving the most votes, at 11,000 votes.

A new multi-year marketing partnership agreement announced that designates Gatorade as the ‘Official Sports Drink of the NBA’ in the Philippines. The agreement includes joint marketing initiatives that leverage the NBA’s global popularity and Gatorade’s on ground retail presence in the Philippines to connect with Filipino fans

The NBA launched the first-ever mobile fantasy sports game in China. The Fantasy NBA 05 Pick ’N Win game, developed by Mtone Wireless Corporation, was promoted with China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC) and marked the first such offering since the NBA-CMCC strategic alliance was announced a week ago. The interactive tournament revolved around the 2005 NBA Playoffs.

Now in its seventh year, the NBA Basketball Challenge has established itself as the ultimate basketball tournament in Germany. In Stuttgart the team count reached a record 400 for the city. One of the highlights of the tour was the appearance of Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki at the tour finals in Munich.

NBA.com/china launched Play-By-Play Game Statistics in Simplified Chinese, marking the first time the NBA.com Network is providing a real-time text play-by-play service in a language other than English.

NBA Madness Philippines celebrated its fifth anniversary with the staging the biggest NBA fan event ever held in Manila, covering over 30,000 square feet of outdoor space at the Araneta Coliseum. NBA Madness, the NBA’s interactive basketball event for fans of all ages returned to Manila, featuring skills competitions, youth basketball activities, sports clinics, musical concerts. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, forward Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, forward Luke Walton of the L.A. Lakers and the Houston Rockets’ Power Dancers were the special guests of the event. NBA Madness Philippines 2005 was co-presented by Solar Sports, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s with Spalding and Araneta Center as the supporting sponsors and Solar Interactive as the media partner.

NBA Madness Taiwan 2005 was the biggest NBA fan event ever held in Taipei at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, with New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson, Orlando Magic rookie sensation forward Dwight Howard, L.A Lakers forward Luke Walton, Houston Rockets’ Power dancers and NBA Mascot “Clutch the Bear” as the special guests. NBA Madness Taiwan 2005 was presented by Hannspree with McDonald’s and Spalding as the associate sponsors, Electronic Arts, Reebok and Mitsukoshi as the supporting sponsors and Videoland Sports Channel as the media partner.

NBA.com/taiwan launched Play-By-Play Game Statistics in Traditional Chinese.

A new multi-year marketing partnership agreement announced that designates China Mobile as the NBA’s official telecommunications service provider in China. In a powerful alliance between two of China's most popular brands, the partnership enables China Mobile to utilize a range of NBA marketing assets to promote its services and distribute NBA wireless content to millions of NBA fans across China

Basketball without Borders, the league’s premier international basketball and community relations outreach program, will expand to four continents and will be staged in China for the first time, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced. The program, a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education, features current and former NBA players and team personnel as camp coaches.

At the end of the 2004-05 NBA regular season on April 20, NBA team rosters featured 76 international players from 34 countries and territories (both active and injured).

When the NBA Playoffs 2005 tipped off on April 23, team rosters featured 24 international players from 18 countries and territories. Almost every team competing in the Playoffs will feature one or more international players. The Playoffs featured 10 international players in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs had the most international players on a Playoff roster with five.

New McDonald’s global deal announced. McDonald’s will tap into the NBA’s lifestyle relevance to global teens and young adults by participating in NBA events that feature competitive basketball tournaments, interactive basketball activities, live musical performances and other NBA-themed attractions. The events will be conducted in key regions, including Hong Kong, France, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan and the Philippines. The involvement of McDonald’s in high-energy NBA events underscores the McDonald’s balanced, active lifestyles initiative. McDonald’s will also connect with young NBA fans through special promotions in their more than 600 restaurants in China.

NBA and Nokiea multi-year agreement announced to expand their U.S. relationship into Greater China, marking the first time video content of a North American based sports league will be made available on mobile phones in the region. As the Official Mobile Phone of the NBA in Greater China, Nokia will enable their mobile users to access embedded NBA video highlights of the 2004-05 NBA season and 2005 All-Star Game. This summer, Nokia will participate in China’s first-ever NBA Jam Van, an NBA touring fan event featuring various basketball activities and NBA-themed attractions

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announces its return to Puerto Rico on October 14 with a marquee match-up between the Miami HEAT and the Memphis Grizzlies at Roberto Clemente Arena in San Juan.

Now in its seventh year, the NBA Basketball Challenge has established itself as the ultimate basketball tournament in Germany. In Stuttgart the team count reached a record 400 for the city. One of the highlights of the tour was the appearance of Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki at the tour finals in Munich.

NBA Madness Philippines celebrated its fifth anniversary with the staging the biggest NBA fan event ever held in Manila, covering over 30,000 square feet of outdoor space at the Araneta Coliseum. NBA Madness, the NBA’s interactive basketball event for fans of all ages returned to Manila, featuring skills competitions, youth basketball activities, sports clinics, musical concerts. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, forward Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, forward Luke Walton of the L.A. Lakers and the Houston Rockets’ Power Dancers were the special guests of the event. NBA Madness Philippines 2005 was co-presented by Solar Sports, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s with Spalding and Araneta Center as the supporting sponsors and Solar Interactive as the media partner.

The Finals 2005 with the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons featured the most international players on team rosters with seven.

NBA Madness Taiwan 2005 was the biggest NBA fan event ever held in Taipei at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, with New Jersey Nets forward Richard Jefferson, Orlando Magic rookie sensation forward Dwight Howard, L.A Lakers forward Luke Walton, Houston Rockets’ Power dancers and NBA Mascot “Clutch the Bear” as the special guests. NBA Madness Taiwan 2005 was presented by Hannspree with McDonald’s and Spalding as the associate sponsors, Electronic Arts, Reebok and Mitsukoshi as the supporting sponsors and Videoland Sports Channel as the media partner.

Four NBA teams will head to Europe for a competition against top European basketball clubs in October 2006 and 2007 as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS™, the NBA and Euroleague Basketball announced. As part of a two-year partnership agreement with Electronic Arts and Euroleague Basketball, the four NBA teams will compete in five European countries.

Argentinean natives Emanuel Ginóbili of the San Antonio Spurs, Carlos Delfino of the Detroit Pistons and Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls headlined the second annual Basketball without Borders Americas in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 30-July 4 at the Centro Nacional de Alto Rendimiento Deportivo (C.e.N.A.R.D.).

Led by native son Yao Ming, star center of the Houston Rockets, the first Basketball without Borders Asia took place July 14-17 at the Beijing Olympic Training Facility in Beijing, China. NBA players San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker (France), Philadelphia 76ers teammates Samuel Dalembert (Haiti) and Kyle Korver and New Orleans Hornets Bostjan Nachbar (Slovenia) also took part.

NBA Madness, a traveling NBA grassroots tour for basketball players of all ages and abilities, traveled to Barcelona and Malaga. For the first time fans and spectators alike were able to experience the festive excitement and atmosphere of the NBA through a whole range of on-court and off-court activities.

The NBA’s Andrei Kirilenko of Russia and Dirk Nowitzki led a group of NBA players as camp coaches for Basketball without Borders Europe July 28-31 at La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy.

NBA Jam Van, the NBA’s premiere interactive touring program, made its first ever overseas tour to China this summer. The Jam Van will travel to 11 Chinese cities, tipping off on July 28 in Shanghai and running through October 2, 2005 in Beijing. The journey will cover 8,175 kilometers, including three municipalities and six provinces in its quest to bring the NBA experience to fans all over China.

The NBA Celebrity Jam – a unique combination of basketball, in-game and musical entertainment took place in Hong Kong on August 6, 2005. The event featured the NBA Celebrity Basketball Challenge and CLUB NBA presented by Sprite at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Center. Headlining the in-game entertainment, was the world famous NBA dance team, the LA Laker Girls, who made their debut in Hong Kong alongside NBA mascot, Rocky the Mountain Lion from the Denver Nuggets.

LeBron James toured Yokohama, Japan, Beijing and Hong Kong, China on behalf of Nike.

This summer seven cities across France played host to the Bouygues Telecom NBA Basketball Challenge. Now in its second year, the 5-on-5 basketball tournament tipped off in Antibes on August 6-7, culminating with the Paris stop and National Finals in Paris Saint-Denis on September 17-18. One of the highlights of the tour was the appearance of NBA Champion Tony Parker at Antibes and Toulouse.

NBA Madness, a traveling NBA grassroots tour, was held in Japan for the first time in Makuhari. The tour featured a national 3-on-3 tournament and All-Star Saturday events. The dance team and team mascot from the Golden State Warriors also took part.

The inaugural Junior NBA will take place in China from August 31 to December 18, 2005. The league will be composed of three divisions with 120 schools in 15 cities participated and it will be divided into four stages – School Stage, City Stage, Regional Stage and National Stage. The winning team, coach and chaperone will be rewarded with trip to NBA All-Star 2006 in Houston.

Houston Rockets center and Congo native Dikembe Mutombo led a contingent of current and former NBA players and team personnel acting as camp coaches for Basketball without Borders Africa September 7-12 in Johannesburg, South Africa at the American International School of Johannesburg for the third consecutive year.

The third consecutive Coca-Cola NBA Jam Session will reach three cities in China by tipping off in Chongqing from September 23 to 25 and will travel to Shanghai for September 30 to October 2. The event will then move to Dalian from October 7 to 9, for the first ever visit by the NBA to this city.

The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Miami Heat 101-91 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Mario Agrelot in San Juan. NBA Puerto Rico 2005 was the 22nd game organized by the NBA in Latin America since 1992, and the fifth preseason game staged in Puerto Rico. The NBA’s last game in Puerto Rico was played on October 7, 2003, when the Heat defeated the 76ers 86-79 in overtime at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) along with U.S. embassies in Algeria, Nigeria and Senegal partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its corporate partner Reebok to sponsor basketball clinics for young boys and girls in Africa. Twelve thousand youth in Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria received a pair of new basketball shoes through this public-private partnership. The clinics in Dakar, Senegal, featured ECA Sports Envoys, NBA player Jim Jackson from the Phoenix Suns and Cynthia Cooper, former Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player for the Houston Comets. In addition an NBA delegation including Senegalese NBA player Mamadou N’diaye, and coaches from the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets,San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks and legendary Georgetown coach and Turner Network Television analyst John Thompson also took part.

As part of an educational sports exchange program with the University of Delaware, in conjunction with the National Basketball Association (NBA), six coaches from Senegal arrived in the United States on October 23 to participate in a three-week program that included sessions with UD faculty and the varsity men’s and women’s basketball staffs, visits to the NBA league office in New York, NBA games and team practices. The trip culminated with a coaching clinic at the University of North Carolina, where they met with legendary college coaches Dean Smith, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski.

The opening night team rosters for the NBA 2005-06 season will feature a record 82 international players from 36 countries and territories, surpassing last season’s number of 81. Almost every team in the NBA will feature one or more international players. The Atlanta Hawks Esteban Batista will be the NBA’s first player from Uruguay. The San Antonio Spurs have the most international players on a roster with seven. At the end of the 2004-05 regular season, the NBA featured 76 international players from 34 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive). In comparison, the NBA featured 26 international players from 17 countries and territories in 1995-96.

NBA player Sam Perkins and WNBA players Andrea Stinson and Shameka Christon conducted basketball clinics in Algeria as sports envoys for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). These clinics, for boys and girls ages 7-17, included technique drills and team building activities, as well as providing an opportunity for the youth to engage in dialogue with the American players.

The league’s 2005-06 season will reach an all-time high 215 countries and territories through 164 international broadcasters in 43 languages. More than 800 games will be distributed internationally and more than 44,000 hours of programming will be delivered to broadcasters around the world. NBA TV, the league’s 24-hour television network, will be distributed to 41 countries, including Hong Kong, Turkey, Russia and Qatar. Heading into its sixth season, NBA TV features a live NBA game every night, classic NBA programming, behind-the-scenes specials and feature programs such as NBA Action.

The number of NBA television partners in China has expanded to 24 for the 2005-06 NBA season. This group, which is a combination of national and local broadcasters, will increase the amount of programming available to fans across China. More than 250 games will be broadcast in China during the 2005-06 season, including up to four games per week televised nationally on CCTV, which is celebrating its 20th season as an NBA partner. In addition to NBA games, CCTV is co-producing NBA Time, a 90-minute NBA highlight program, which airs every Friday during prime time. Hosted by local basketball commentators and experts, the show recaps a week of NBA excitement and action, news and local NBA events such as the NBA Jam Van, Junior NBA China and off-season news and player tours.

[edit]

2006

A total of 302 international media members from 38 countries and territories converged in Houston, Texas for NBA All-Star. The 2006 NBA All-Star events were broadcast by 103 international telecasters to 215 countries in 44 languages. There were 12 international players featured in 2006 NBA All-Star events:

At the end of the 2005-06 regular season, the NBA featured 82 international players from 38 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive).

Playoffs rosters have a record 44 international players from 25 countries and territories. The San Antonio Spurs have the most with a record seven.

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