Spalding Signs Greg Oden and Gilbert Arenas
Building on its basketball category leadership, Spalding, the
world's largest basketball equipment supplier, today announced the
signing of two high profile basketball players, one of the top NBA
draft prospects Greg Oden (Ohio State) and Washington Wizards guard
Gilbert Arenas, to endorse its full line of basketballs and backboards
on a worldwide basis.
Spalding will leverage Oden and Arenas in worldwide advertising,
marketing communications and trade and consumer promotions. Terms of
the multi-year deals were not disclosed.
"Greg is a rare player with unlimited talent and the very real
potential to shape the League for years to come and Gilbert is a
proven All-Star who has worked his way into a premier NBA player with
determination and passion," stated Dan Touhey, vice president of
marketing for Spalding. "The combination of Greg and Gilbert give
Spalding an unbelievable 1-2 punch to reinforce our worldwide
basketball leadership and our partnership with the NBA."
Oden, a 7-foot center, enters Thursday's NBA draft as the top
prospect. He completed a stellar freshman year with the Ohio State
Buckeyes, leading the team to a 35-4 record, a Big Ten regular-season
and tournament title before advancing to their first national
championship game since 1962. The 19-year-old Oden lived up to his
billing as a two-time national high school player of the year, leading
the Buckeyes in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (9.6) per game and
topping the Big Ten in shooting percentage (.616). His best game may
have been his last one, when he scored 25 points and had 12 rebounds
while dominating the inside against Florida in the national
championship game.
Arenas, a 6-4 guard with lightning quick moves, reached NBA
stardom with three consecutive selections as an NBA All-Star (2005,
2006, 2007), as the Wizards all-time leader in three-point field goals
(529) and the league's third leading scorer for 2006-2007 with a 28.4
clip. The first player from the 2001 NBA Draft class to earn All-Star
recognition, Arenas is known for his drive to win, his ability to
prove doubters wrong and his commitment to community.
About Spalding
A Division of Russell Corporation, the Springfield, MA-based
Spalding Group consists of three business units: Spalding in
Springfield, MA; American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) in Jefferson, IA; and
Spalding Backboards in Sussex, WI. The three companies, collectively
combined, are now the largest basketball equipment supplier in the
world. Spalding is the official basketball of the National Basketball
Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA),
NBA Development League the official backboard of the NBA and NCAA. For
more information, visit www.spalding.com.