NBA in Spain
From Hoopedia
Contents |
Players
Current NBA
- Pau Gasol became the second Spanish player in the NBA when he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the third overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Before the start of the season he had been traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Gasol quickly became the team’s key player averaging 17.6 points per game and 8.9 rebounds and became the first European player to be awarded NBA Rookie of the Year. He continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounds.
- José Manuel Calderon was signed by the Toronto Raptors as a restricted free agent on August 3, 2005. The 24 year old Spanish player played for six seasons in his native country, including four with Tau Ceramica. He led his team to second position in the 2004-2005 Euroleague, with the following statistics: 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 22 games.
Other Players
- Fernando Martin was the first Spanish player in the NBA in 1986. Played for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1986-1987. Other Spanish players drafted by the NBA are: Jose Antonio Montero (1987, Atlanta Hawks), Roberto Duenas (1997 Chicago Bulls), Juan Carlos Navarro (2002 Washington Wizards) and José Cold.
WNBA Players
- There have been five Spanish players in the WNBA. The last Spanish player in the WNBA was Elisa Aguilar who played with the Utah Starzz during the 2002 season. The other four Spanish WNBA players were: Amaya Valdemoro (Houston Comets, ’98-‘01), Begoña Garcia (Detroit Shock, ‘02), Elisabeth Cebrian (New York Liberty, ’98) and Marina Ferragut (New York Liberty, ‘00).
Business Activation
Consumer Products: Alongside pan-European partners Reebok, Champion, Spalding and Electronic Arts, the NBA in Spain is also in partnership with European licensees to develop new product ranges and categories. Licensees include: Enri 2000 (school notebooks and folders), Coty Astor (fragrances), Sportandem (School bags) and Recoletos (Official NBA Magazine).
Marketing Partners
- Adidas
- Nike
- Reebok
- Sprite
Television
For the 2005-06 season NBA programming is available to fans on Canal , Sport and NBA . Canal broadcast two games a week: an edited game on Wednesday afternoons as well as a live game on Friday nights. Sport (Canal Group’s sports channel) broadcast a game on Sunday night as well as NBA Action on Friday evenings.
NBA Events In Spain
- As part of the NBA Europe Games 2003 the Memphis Grizzlies traveled to Barcelona, Spain where they played local team FC Barcelona on October 10. Memphis won the game 91-80 and Pau Gasol, former player for FC Barcelona, showed that he truly belonged to Memphis.
- The McDonald’s Championship was held in Madrid, Spain in 1988, when the Boston Celtics defeated the Yugoslavian National team and Real Madrid.
- The New York Knicks won the 1990 McDonald’s Championship in Barcelona.
- The USA Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, nicknamed the “Dream Team” and for the first time featuring NBA stars (Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, John Stockton) defeated Croatia, 117-85, to win the Gold Medal at the Barcelona Olympics on August 8, 1992.
- As part of the NBA Europe Tour in October 1994, the Golden State Warriors beat Joventut Badalona 122-104 at the Pavello Olimpic in Badalona, Spain.
- The NBA's Europe Tour in 1996 featured the Seattle SuperSonics and Indiana Pacers playing a pair of preseason games: one in Berlin, Germany and the other in Sevilla, Spain. Seattle defeated Indiana 82-72 at the Palacio de Deportes in Sevilla, Spain. Both games were played in front of sell-out crowds.
- Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi welcomed Pau Gasol home when the Memphis Grizzlies defeated FC Barcelona, Europe’s current basketball champion, 91-80 in an exhibition game on October 10, 2003 before an announced crowd of 16,525
Summer Events
- July 16 – July 24, 2005: 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 event attracted over 16,000 participants and 35,000 spectators over the two stops.
- June 9 – June 30, 2004: The Budweiser NBA Basket Jam, popular interactive fan festivals, traveled to Bologna, Milan and Barcelona. Co-organized by Budweiser and the NBA, the Budweiser NBA Basket Jam consisted of two fan events: the Budweiser NBA Basket Jam Tour (a mobile Pop-a-Shot competition) and the Budweiser NBA Basket Jam Festival (a 3-on-3 outdoor basketball tournament). Over a period of three weeks, the Budweiser NBA Basket Jam Tour visited: Bologna (June 9-11 and 14-16), Milan (June 17-18 and 20-23) and Barcelona (June 25-30).
NBA.com/español/espana
NBA.com/español, the official Spanish-language site of the NBA, is where fans can find information about the most popular basketball league in the world, as well as the latest news on the Spanish and Latin players that compete in the NBA.
In May 2003 the NBA launched a special section dedicated to its activities in Spain (www.nba.com/español/espana). The page highlights topics of special interest to the Spanish fans, including information on Spanish players and events.
NBA Publications
Licensed monthly magazine “Revista Oficial NBA“, a Spanish version of Hoop, debuted in Spain in November 1991 and has a circulation of 30,000. The magazine is now edited by Recoletos, one of the most important communication holdings in Spain. As an example, Recoletos also edits Marca newspaper, the most read newspaper in Spain.
