BEIJING – The Brooklyn Nets, adidas, and NBA Cares teamed up yesterday to unveil a refurbished Nets themed court at Ditan Sports Center in Beijing, China.
The dedication ceremony was attended by Nets center Brook Lopez, Nets CEO Brett Yormark, adidas Global Basketball General Manager Chris Grancio, NBA China Senior Vice President of Business Affairs David Yang, 50 children from Hepingli No.1 Primary School, the Brooklynettes dance team, School Sports Federation Commercial Director Xu Songtao, Ditan Sports Center Marketing Director Lu Peng, and was hosted by seasoned basketball journalist Wang Meng. (Photo above.)
“We’re proud to give back to the Beijing community by refurbishing the court at Ditan Sports Center,” said Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark. “We hope this Nets themed court serves as an inspiration for young people to play hard and be a great teammate. Thank you to adidas and NBA Cares for helping us leave our black and white mark in China as we continue to expand our fan base worldwide.”
“Our goal at adidas is to provide the best for the athlete to help them succeed, and we’re excited to give thousands of basketball players a better opportunity to learn and improve their game through this new court,” said Chris Grancio, adidas Global Basketball General Manager. “We’re thankful to partner with the Nets to continue to grow the game of basketball across the globe.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the Nets to share their joy of basketball with kids in the Beijing community, " said David Shoemaker, CEO of NBA China. “This wonderful facility will provide the youth with a place to play the game and lead a healthy and active lifestyle.”
The black and white adorned indoor court features Nets, adidas, and NBA Cares logos on the court and wall padding. Ditan Sports Center basketball courts serve more than 100,000 participants annually. Every child in attendance at the dedication ceremony received a Nets shirt.
The Nets will play the Kings today, Oct. 15, at MasterCard Center in Beijing.
As part of the NBA Global Games 2014, NBA Cares is continuing its global social responsibility efforts with community outreach by hosting eight NBA Cares events in seven cities across six countries on four continents.