NBA in Germany
From Hoopedia
Contents |
NBA Players
- German born Dirk Nowitzki is one of the top players in the NBA. Originally selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the ninth pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Nowitzki was traded to the Dallas Mavericks before the start of his first season. Nowitzki has led the team in scoring and rebounding for the past five seasons and is a four-time All Star. Last season Nowitzki ranked 4th in the league in points per game and 9th in rebounds.
- Seven German players have played in the NBA in total (including Dirk Nowitzki). The first German player in the NBA was Frido Fray who played for the New York Knicks in 1946-47. He was followed by John Brown in 1973-1980 and Kiki Vandeweghe between 1980 and 1993. Uwe Blab played in 1985-1989 and Christian Welp between 1987-1989. Detlef Schrempf joined the NBA in 1985 with the Dallas Mavericks and retired in 2001 when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers. Peter Fehse was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2002 and currently plays in Germany.
WNBA Players
- Linda Fröhlich joined the New York Liberty in 2002 where she played for two seasons. The first German player in the WNBA was Marlies Askamp. Drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 1997, Askamp played for the Miami Sol and two-time Champions the Los Angeles Sparks until the end of the 2002 season.
Business Activation
Consumer Products: Among the NBA’s core product categories are apparel, basketball shoes, electronic games, basketball equipment, Toys and Games with licensees such as Champion, Spalding, Electronic Arts and Reebok. Alongside these established products the NBA in Germany is also in partnership with European licensees to develop new product ranges and categories.
Marketing Partners
- Adidas
- Nike
- Reebok
- Sprite
Television
For the 2005-06 season, NBA games, shows and highlights are being televised in Germany through Premiere, DSF Premiere is broadcasting two live games per week during the regular season and three live games per week during the Playoffs. Premiere will also show the All-Star Game live and each game of the Finals. Fans in Germany are also able to enjoy NBA programming (Inside NBA) twice a week on DSF.
NBA Events In Germany
- The Phoenix Suns competed against five international club champions in the 1993 McDonald’s Championship held in Munich.
- The NBA’s Europe Tour in 1996 featured the Seattle SuperSonics and Indiana Pacers playing a pair of preseason games; one in Berlin and the other in Seville, Spain. Popular German star Detlef Schrempf, who played in front of his home crowd, added to the excitement of the event. Both games were played in front of sell-out crowds.
Summer Events
- Summer 1999 – Summer 2005: Now in its seventh year, the NBA Basketball Challenge has established itself as the ultimate basketball tournament in Germany. This summer the event toured seven cities across the country. In Stuttgart, the team count reached a record 400. One of the highlights of the tour was the appearance of Dirk Nowitzki at the finals in Munich.
- Summer 2002 – Summer 2005: The search for Germany’s basketball stars of the future began with the Sprite DNBA (Dirk Nowitzki Basketball Academy). The DNBA is a Sprite and NBA co-developed program on the look out for up-and-coming basketball talents in Germany. It is based on a multi-stage screening process between June and September. The best 40 players received an invitation to participate in the Sprite DNBA Final Academy. Players receive training based on Dirk Nowitzki’s training program and the finalists got the chance to be coached by Nowitzki himself in his hometown of Würzburg.
Technology
NBA.com/germany NBA.com/germany, the official German-language site of the National Basketball Association was launched in April 2003 and is where fans can find information about the most popular basketball league in the world.
NBA.com/germany also features local broadcast schedules and merchandise information along with expanded in-language photo galleries, polls and editorial features of NBA teams and players.
