NBA Laces Up Adidas for 11-Year Partnership

Discussion in 'NBA General' started by Shapecity, Apr 11, 2006.

  1. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The NBA and shoe and apparel giant adidas announced an 11-year partnership early Tuesday in London that will make the brand the league's official uniform and apparel supplier.


    The deal, which sources peg at a total value in excess of $400 million, replaces the 10-year contract Reebok negotiated with the league in 2001.

    In January, adidas acquired Reebok in a $3.8 billion deal that bolsters its effort to overtake Nike, which is the worldwide market leader. When the merger was consummated, the NBA was allowed to open negotiations on a uniform and apparel deal to competitors. But NBA commissioner David Stern said the league's previous relationship with Reebok made the new partnership with adidas a foregone conclusion.


    "We went right to the terms of this new agreement," Stern said. "The adidas presence on a global basis is extraordinary."

    For adidas, a 56-year-old German-born brand that is more firmly entrenched in Europe and Asia than in the United States, the deal was a no-brainer.

    "The NBA has always been on our wish list," said adidas president and chief executive Erich Stamminger. "In soccer, we have FIFA and UEFA. In baseball, we have the New York Yankees. And in rugby, we have the All-Blacks. Given that our mission statement is to become the leading sports brand in the world, this alliance was at the top of our list."

    With Reebok's assets, adidas' share of the U.S. shoe market is 20 percent, compared with the 70 percent held by market leader Nike, whose sales also include the Jordan brand.

    Consumers will notice a few changes under the new alliance. Merchandise in the NBA Store in Manhattan, which opened in 1998, will be dominated by adidas products. Non-adidas league-branded merchandise will be approved on a case-by-case basis, Stern said.

    "Everything that we do in this partnership will first be executed in this store," Stamminger said. "It will be a way for us to communicate our concepts to our consumers."

    Reebok made a shoe with the NBA logo on it, and adidas has plans to go further, with team-branded shoes that will be released on a global basis. Adidas will use its popular Superstar line and try to take advantage of the NBA's extensive and colorful history by releasing lifestyle shoes featuring the league's retro logos and colors, Stamminger said.

    As part of the deal, adidas will also have its logos on WNBA, NBDL and replica jerseys. NBA warm-ups and practice gear will add the familiar adidas stripes. However, the adidas logo will not appear on the outside of any official jerseys.

    "Having only the team logo and the NBA logo helps reinforce our brand," Stern said. "I won't say it's a 'forever' policy; but right now, those are the only marks that appear on the NBA uniform."

    Though adidas has 2,100 franchise stores in China, Stamminger said no athletes, including Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, will be making the switch from the Reebok to the adidas brand.

    "Reebok is still a brand very much invested in basketball," Stamminger said. "We didn't consider taking any athlete and switching brands. It just didn't make sense."

    Besides Yao, Reebok's big name is Allen Iverson. Adidas' most powerful NBA endorsers include Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups and Gilbert Arenas. </div>

    Source
     
  2. Flow

    Flow ATLiens

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    Cool.

    Reebok sucks anyway imo.
     
  3. The One & Only

    The One & Only JBB The Orlando Tragic

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    I liked Reebok [​IMG] but thats just my preference.
     
  4. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    Adidas owns Reebok now.
     
  5. houston_owns_u

    houston_owns_u JBB JustBBall Member

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    Wow. Pwned.
     
  6. hustler

    hustler Revving up the Engine

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Adidas owns Reebok now.</div>
    Yea It does, i heard Adidas bought it or something, don't worry Reebok still exists of course but the profits go the Adidas i think.

    BTW, does this mean that jerseys are now made by Adidas?
     
  7. Shapecity

    Shapecity S2/JBB Teamster Staff Member Administrator

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">As part of the deal, adidas will also have its logos on WNBA, NBDL and replica jerseys. NBA warm-ups and practice gear will add the familiar adidas stripes. However, the adidas logo will not appear on the outside of any official jerseys. </div>

    The replica jerseys will be made by Adidas and the official jerseys won't have any brand logo on them, except the NBA Logo and Team logo.
     
  8. Trip

    Trip 2000000000000000000000000

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    <div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">The replica jerseys will be made by Adidas and the official jerseys won't have any brand logo on them, except the NBA Logo and Team logo.</div>
    Basically, that means that the current Reebok replicas and Swingmans will soon be on sale?

    Awesome news.
     
  9. NYCfinest123

    NYCfinest123 JBB JustBBall Member

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    now adidas?? come on reebok just took over making all team authentic jerseys last year, but its gonna be adidas, i hate adidas too but the league should stick with either nike or reebok
     
  10. nkwu

    nkwu JBB shoehead

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    I'm surprsied the league didn't choose nike. I'm sure nike made a run for the exclusive liscensing deal. Adidas must have had a helluva deal for the league, and rbk must have had a good relationship with them. rbk had a fairly good reception with their authentics(but that's not the market anyone wants to have), their swignment weren't met with good reception though.It'll cool to see if they make any changes to the swingmen design/materials used.

    and Locke, don't expect any jeresys to be on sale for a steal price like it is in the states Canadian retailers are notorious for not putting anything on clearance. I remember when Nike lost their contract, and it took months and months and months for them to finally mark them down. Even traded players!

    Adidas is definitely gonna make nike start working soon.
     
  11. Eclipse

    Eclipse JBB JustBBall Member

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    I don't understand how Nike wasn't able to put something together to get this deal. They have the most resources and money of any shoe/apparel company in the world.

    I don't think it matters what Adidas does in North America. They will always be known as a European/soccer brand here. No one will be able to overtake Nike here anytime soon.
     

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