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NBA ANNOUNCES 36 OFFICIALS SELECTED FOR 2021 PLAYOFFS

 

– Playoff Roster Averages 17 Years of NBA Experience –

 

NEW YORK, May 17, 2021 – The NBA today announced the list of 36 officials who earned spots to work the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.  The same group also comprises the officiating staff for the State Farm NBA Play-In Tournament.

 

“Our officials are an integral part of the NBA family and we thank them for their dedication, commitment and service to the game,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations. “Congratulations to the group of 36 on their overall performance during the regular season and selection to work the 2021 NBA Playoffs.”

 

Below is the list of officials for the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs:

Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, James Capers, Derrick Collins, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Kane Fitzgerald, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Ed Malloy, Ken Mauer, Rodney Mott, Kevin Scott, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Dedric Taylor, Josh Tiven, Scott Wall, Tom Washington, James Williams, Sean Wright and Zach Zarba.

 

Longtime NBA official Tony Brown has been named as an honorary referee for the playoffs.  Brown will not officiate during the playoffs after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month. 

 

The following officials are alternates for the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs:

Eric Dalen, Mitchell Ervin, Lauren Holtkamp, Gediminas Petraitis, Justin Van Duyne and Leon Wood.

 

Playoff officials are selected by the NBA Referee Operations management team based on three specific criteria assessed throughout the season: NBA Referee Operations graded rankings, play-calling accuracy and team rankings.  Officials will be evaluated after each round of the playoffs to determine who will advance in the 2021 postseason.

 

The officials who comprise the 2021 playoff roster average 17 years of NBA experience.  Twenty-four officials (67%) have five or more years of playoff experience, highlighted by Ken Mauer in his 27^th postseason.  Tom Washington and Scott Foster will be officiating in the playoffs for their 23^rd and 22^nd seasons, respectively.

 

Referees assigned to first-round games include nine with more than 100 playoff games worked: Mauer (223), Foster (201), Washington (172), Tony Brothers (153), James Capers (150), Marc Davis (147), Ed Malloy (116), Bill Kennedy (113) and Zach Zarba (104). 

 

Making their debut as members of the playoff staff are JB DeRosa and Jacyn Goble.

 

The State Farm NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, May 18.  The first round of the playoffs tips off Saturday, May 22.  Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. ET each game day.

 

Please be advised of the updated schedule for the 2021 NBA Play-In Tournament:

 

 

GAME	AWAY	HOME	ET	TV/R*
Tuesday, May 18
1	Charlotte	Indiana	6:30PM	TNT
2	Washington	Boston	9:00PM	TNT
Wednesday, May 19
3	San Antonio	West 9th Place	TBD	ESPN
4	West 8th Place	West 7th Place	TBD	ESPN
Thursday, May 20
5	Winner of Game 1	Loser of Game 2	8:00PM	TNT
Friday, May 21
6	Winner of Game 3	Loser of Game 4	TBD	ESPN

 

 

 

Additional scheduling information will be provided as soon as possible consistent with the need to fulfill league obligations.

 

All games in the Play-In Tournament are exclusive network telecasts on ESPN or TNT, and not available for local telecasts.

 

R* – All Play-In Tournament games to be aired on ESPN Radio

TBD – To Be Determined

The following is being sent on behalf of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Mike Gorman, Mel Greenberg and George Kalinsky Named Recipients of Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2021 Curt Gowdy Media Award

 

Springfield, Mass. (May 16, 2021) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the 2021 Curt Gowdy Media Award recipients: longtime Celtics play-by-play commentator Mike Gorman, women’s basketball media pioneer Mel Greenberg and iconic Madison Square Garden photographer George Kalinsky.

 

The Curt Gowdy Media Award is named in honor of the late Curt Gowdy, a legendary sports broadcaster and former Hall of Fame Board member and President. This prestigious award is presented annually to members of the print and electronic media whose efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of basketball. A complete list of past winners can be found in the attached document. 

 

Gorman, Greenberg and Kalinsky will be acknowledged for their contributions to basketball media during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend September 10-11, 2021. For further details, including ticket information, visit www.hoophall.com/Enshrinement.

 

Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award Winner – Mike Gorman

Mike Gorman began his broadcasting career at WNBH radio in New Bedford, Mass. in the late 1970s, focusing on high school basketball and football. He moved to Providence in the early 1980s where he covered URI basketball on radio and eventually Providence College basketball on television. There he met Dave Gavitt, leading to his involvement with the Big East and eventually landing on ESPN for Big Monday Big East games, working alongside Bill Raftery. Gorman was also the sports anchor for WPRI TV in Providence.

 

Beginning in 1981, Gorman became the play-by-play voice for the Celtics home games. In 1990, he gave up college basketball to become the Celtics commentator for all regular season and playoff games. This season, he celebrates 40 years broadcasting for the Celtics. Gorman also worked for CBS covering the NCAA Tournament, Turner covering the NBA Playoffs and NBC broadcasting tennis from the 1992 Olympics and basketball at the 2016 Olympics.

 

Curt Gowdy Print Media Award Winner – Mel Greenberg

A pioneer in the coverage of women’s basketball, Mel Greenberg began following the women’s game in 1975. Greenberg began his career with the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1969, three years before the passage of Title IX when sweeping legislation would transform the landscape of women’s sports. Greenberg began following collegiate basketball powerhouse Immaculata at a time when newspapers largely ignored women’s sports.

 

Covering the sport proved difficult when there was little to go on for information, comparison, or measurements of success. He began collecting the necessary information and the voting commitment of coaches to produce the first-ever women’s poll, a Top 20 national ranking of the best teams in the women’s game. The poll debuted in November 1976 and within two years The Associated Press approached Greenberg and officially attached the organization’s name to the poll. As the popularity of the women’s game grew, The AP poll aided the capacity of other newspapers to cover the growing sport.

 

The unofficial historian of women’s basketball at the collegiate and professional levels, Greenberg has covered every women’s NCAA Final Four since its inception in 1982 and continues to follow local programs at Temple, Villanova, and Rutgers. He is a regular contributor for the WNBA following the New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, and Connecticut Sun as well as USA Basketball. In 1991, the WBCA established the Mel Greenberg Media Award to “recognize a member of the media who has best displayed a commitment to women's basketball and to advancing the role of the media in advancing the women's game.”

 

Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award Winner – George Kalinsky

As the official photographer of Madison Square Garden since 1966, award-winning photographer George Kalinsky has created many iconic images capturing some of the most important faces, places and events in the world of sports, entertainment and politics including Patrick Ewing, Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra and President George H. W. Bush.

Kalinsky’s work has been featured in Times Square and exhibited at the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Baseball Hall of Fame, Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography and the Olympus Plaza Gallery. In 2019, the Library of Congress in Washington added his photography to their permanent collection. Kalinsky has authored 10 books including two with Hall of Famers Phil Jackson and Willis Reed, and photographed 1,000 covers and almost 10,000 events. His photographs have also appeared in publications such as Time, Life, People, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek.

In 2001, George was honored with the highest award you can win in the photography industry with PMDA’s “International Photographer of the Year”. In 2010, he was awarded the National Arts Club Medal of Honor. In 2010, he was inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame and later in 2015, into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame. In 2018, George was awarded Pratt Institute’s prestigious “Legend of the Year” honor.

 

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #GowdyAward or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.

Spain get their first FIBA 3x3 Women's Series win in Mies May 16, 2021 MIES (Switzerland) - Spain won the first FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series stop of the 2021 season in Mies, Switzerland on May 15-16, 2021. There was no stopping the Spanish national team in the first official FIBA competition played at FIBA’s headquarters. The team finished with a perfect 5-0 record, including a 19-17 win in the final against Poland. They received their winner cheque from FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis. It was the first time prize money was awarded at the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series (6,000 USD for the winners, 10,000 USD overall). The speedy Sandra Ygueravide led all players in player value, finished second in scoring and received her MVP trophy from Swiss Basketball President Giancarlo Sergi. In the final, she collected one of the only two triple-fives which happened in the entire tournament with 5 points, 6 rebounds and 6 highlights. Spain finally earned first place at the Women’s Series after three second places in 2019 in Lignano, La Rochelle and Debrecen. For her first-ever appearance at the Women’s Series, Anna Pawlowska was spectacular for Poland. The 25-year-old topped all scorers with 32 points in 6 games. The competition will be back next week in Voiron, France on May 21-22. For Spain and many other participating teams, these two events are a milestone in their preparation for the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will take place in Graz, Austria on May 26-30. Mies Stop Final Standings 1. Spain 2. Poland 3. Russia 4. Switzerland 5. Netherlands 6. Romania 7. Hungary 8. Mongolia ### Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court. It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups. On 9 June 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo Games. Wilson is the Global Ball and Apparel Partner and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3. FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, and the Magic Sky canopy system. The following is being sent on behalf of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.   Carol Stiff Wins Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2021 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award   Springfield, Mass. (May 16, 2021) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced Carol Stiff as the winner of the 2021 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.  Stiff, ESPN’s Vice President of Women’s Sports Programming, will be honored at Enshrinement Weekend in September 2021.   The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-1964, the award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional and international game. A complete list of previous winners can be found in the attached document.   “The Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to recognize Carol Stiff as the recipient of this year’s Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “For several decades, Carol has been at the forefront of advocating for women’s sports media coverage and support, especially basketball. We appreciate her leadership in this space and look forward to honoring her this fall.”   In 30-plus years at ESPN, Stiff has become one of the most influential people in women’s college sports, particularly in basketball where ESPN has held exclusivity on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament since 1996. She returned to the programming department in 2016, after joining the espnW team in 2013 as vice president, content program and integration. As vice president, women’s sports programming, Stiff leads the company’s efforts in NCAA women’s basketball and the WNBA, as well as integrating women’s sports content across all ESPN platforms. Stiff previously worked for 22 years in ESPN’s programming department, ultimately advancing to vice president, programming & acquisitions in 2010. She oversaw the acquisition and scheduling of a variety of sports on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, including NCAA women’s basketball, NCAA championships - the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, College Football Championship Series, College World Series, Women’s College World Series, lacrosse - WNBA, professional softball and more.   A member of ESPN’s employee committee in support of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, Stiff has been a leader on behalf of the company’s efforts to benefit The Foundation.  She was instrumental in the development of the Jimmy V Week and in raising awareness for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund in partnership with The V Foundation. In 2012, she was a unanimous selection to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund Board of Directors. Stiff is the current president of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and serves as a member of several professional groups including the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Governors, Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Advisory Board, Pat Summitt Leadership Group Advisory Board and the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Board of Directors.   Adding to her list of credentials, Stiff will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as a part of the 2021 class. She was also inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Connecticut Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2009, Sports Business Journal recognized her as one of the most influential executives leading the way in women’s sports and she was awarded the 2011 WBCA Mel Greenberg Media Award for her commitment to women’s basketball and advancing the role of the media in the game. In 2013, she was recognized by the Alliance of Women Coaches, as well as a WISE Woman of the Year. Stiff was honored as one of Business Insider’s 50 Most Influential People Behind the Scenes in Sports in 2014 and in 2016 Sports Business Journal named Stiff one of 35 “Game Changers” for her role at ESPN, where she serves as a mentor to young executives.   Stiff will be honored with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend September 10-11, 2021. For further details, including ticket information, visit www.hoophall.com/Enshrinement. The following is being sent on behalf of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.     Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Revealed Today at Newly Renovated Museum Tickets for Enshrinement Festivities Available Now on Hoophall.com   Springfield, Mass. (May 16, 2021) – Today at a private event held in the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the 16 honorees in the Class of 2021 were announced on ESPN. The Class of 2021 will be enshrined in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday, September 11.   This year’s class includes nine honorees from the North American and Women’s committees: ninth-winningest coach in NBA history Rick Adelman, two-time NBA champion and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, NBA Finals MVP and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, the first Black NBA head coach Bill Russell, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Champion Ben Wallace, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Webber, two-time NCAA national champion Villanova coach Jay Wright, seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Yolanda Griffith and seven-time WNBA All-Star and three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.   Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected seven directly elected enshrinees: Val Ackerman, Cotton Fitzsimmons and Howard Garfinkel from the Contributor Committee, Clarence “Fats” Jenkins from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Toni Kukoc from the International Committee, Bob Dandridge from the Veterans Committee and Pearl Moore from the Women’s Veterans Committee.   “For the first time in our history, we’ll enshrine two Classes in one calendar year,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Class of 2021 to Springfield – the Birthplace of Basketball – where we can celebrate them and honor their remarkable achievements and contributions to the game.”   The Class of 2021 Enshrinement festivities will begin at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 10 with the Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2021 and returning Hall of Famers will then journey to Springfield, Mass. for the annual celebratory events taking place at the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center on September 11. Premium Sponsors of Enshrinement 2021 include Nike, Baron Championship Rings, Mohegan Sun and Panini.   Tickets for the 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony and all Enshrinement events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com or by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231-5513. As the health and safety of Hall of Famers, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and will provide appropriate health and safety measures for all events.   THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2021 North American Committee: RICK ADELMAN [Coach] – Adelman coached in the NBA for more than three decades, compiling an overall head coaching record of 1042-749 (.582). His teams reached the playoffs in 16 of his 23 seasons at the helm and he led the Portland Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals (1990, 1992). Adelman ranks ninth all-time in NBA career wins, including two 60-win seasons and 11 50-win seasons. He reached 200 wins in just 288 games, a record at the time. Adelman is a three-time NBA All-Star Game head coach (1991, 2001, 2003). He coached several Hall of Fame players including Clyde Drexler, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Mullin and Drazen Petrovic.   CHRIS BOSH [Player] – Bosh is an 11-time NBA All-Star (2006-2016) and a two-time NBA Champion with the Miami Heat (2012, 2013). In 13 NBA seasons, he averaged 19.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Drafted by the Toronto Raptors, he was a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2004. As a collegiate athlete at Georgia Tech, Bosh earned ACC Rookie of the Year in 2003. As a high school standout in 2002, Bosh was named Texas Mr. Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American, while leading Lincoln High to a state and national championship with a 40-0 record. On the international stage, Bosh won an Olympic gold medal in 2008.   PAUL PIERCE [Player] – Pierce is a 10-time NBA All-Star (2002-06, 2008-2012) and 2008 NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics. In 2008, he was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. After 19 seasons in the NBA, Pierce ranks ninth all-time in free throws made and three-point field goals made, as well as 19th all-time in NBA scoring with 26,397 points. Drafted by the Celtics, Pierce was named a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1999. As a Kansas Jayhawk, he was a unanimous First Team All-American in 1998. With Inglewood High, Pierce was named California Mr. Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American in 1995. His number 34 is retired by the Boston Celtics and Kansas Jayhawks.   BILL RUSSELL [Coach] – Following the retirement of legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach in 1966, Bill Russell became the first Black head coach in the NBA. In his second season as player-coach, Russell led the Boston Celtics to the 1968 NBA championship, thus becoming the first Black head coach to win an NBA title. The following season, Russell would again lead Boston to the NBA Finals and championship, his eleventh and final ring. With the Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings, he compiled an NBA coaching record of 341-290 (.540), with a playoff record of 34-27 (.557). As a player-coach, Russell was named the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1968. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1975.   BEN WALLACE [Player] – Wallace is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), four-time NBA All-Star (2003-06) and NBA Champion with the Detroit Pistons (2004). He earned NBA All-Defensive Team honors five times (2002-2006) and All-NBA Second Team three times (2003, 2004, 2006), while leading the NBA in rebounds per game (2002, 2003) and blocked shots (2002). As a collegiate athlete at Virginia Union University, Wallace was a CIAA Tournament Champion and Tournament MVP in 1995 and a Division II First Team All-American in 1996.   CHRIS WEBBER [Player] – Webber is a five-time NBA All-Star (1997, 2000-2003) and the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year. He earned All-NBA First Team honors in 2001 and All-NBA Second Team three times (1999, 2002, 2003). He led the NBA in rebounds per game during the 1998-1999 season and averaged more than 20 points per game for nine consecutive seasons (1994-2003). As a member of the “Fab Five,” Webber led University of Michigan to two Final Four appearances (1992, 1993) and was a Unanimous First Team All-American in 1993. As a high school phenom at Detroit Country Day School, he was named the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP, Michigan’s Mr. Basketball, and the Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 1991.   JAY WRIGHT [Coach] – Wright is a two-time Naismith National Coach of the Year (2006, 2016), six-time Big East Conference Coach of the Year (2006, 2009, 2014-16, 2019) and the first coach in NCAA history to lead a team to four consecutive 30-win seasons. He led Villanova to two NCAA national championships (2016, 2018) and eight Big East regular season championships (2006, 2014-17, 2019-2021). In all, Wright has guided Villanova to three Final Fours, four Elite Eights and five Sweet Sixteen appearances. He has compiled an overall coaching record of 612-274 (.691). Wright was named the recipient of the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in 2018.   Women’s Committee: YOLANDA GRIFFITH [Player] – Griffith is a seven-time WNBA All-Star (1999-2001, 2003, 2005-2007) and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2004). She led the Sacramento Monarchs to a WNBA Championship in 2005 while being named to the All-WNBA First Team and WNBA All-Defensive First Team the same year. In 1999, Griffith earned WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, while leading the league in field goals, rebounds, offensive rebounds and steals per game. Griffith was named a member of the WNBA’s All-Decade Team in 2006 and the Top 20 Players in the league’s 20-year history in 2016. She began her pro career in the ABL, earning Defensive Player of the Year and All-ABL First Team in 1998. As a student athlete at Florida Atlantic University, Griffith earned WBCA Division II Player of the Year in 1993.   LAUREN JACKSON [Player] – Jackson is a seven-time WNBA All-Star (2001-2003, 2005-2007, 2009) and three-time WNBA MVP (2003, 2007, 2010). She led the Seattle Storm to WNBA Championships in 2004 and 2010, while collecting WNBA Finals MVP honors in 2010. In 2007, Jackson was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, while leading the league in rebounding and points per game. Jackson was named a member of the WNBA’s All-Decade Team in 2006 and the Top 20 Players in the league’s 20-year history in 2016. As a superstar of the WNBL, Jackson is a five-time All-Star (1999-2004), four-time MVP (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004) and four-time Grand Final MVP (2002, 2003, 2006, 2010). With the Australian national team, she is a three-time Olympic silver medalist (2000, 2004, 2008).   Contributor Committee Direct Elections: VAL ACKERMAN [Contributor] – Ackerman is widely regarded as a trailblazing basketball executive and significant contributor to women’s and men’s basketball on the collegiate, professional and international level. She served as WNBA President from the league’s inception in 1996 to 2005 and USA Basketball’s first female President from 2005-2008. Since 2013, Akerman has led the BIG EAST Conference as Commissioner, launching several initiatives including BIG EAST Serves, the Digital Network, the Student-Athlete Well-Being Forum, and winning two NCAA basketball national championships. Akerman is a recipient of the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), the Edward Steitz Award (2013) and the Women’s Sports Foundation Billie Jean King Award (2016), as well as an enshrinee of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2011).   COTTON FITZSIMMONS [Contributor] – Recognized posthumously, Fitzsimmons was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (1979, 1989) and is one of 15 coaches with 800 or more victories. He coached five NBA franchises, most notably the Phoenix Suns to four straight 50-win seasons. He led his teams to 12 NBA playoff appearances, including three Western Conference Finals appearances. Fitzsimmons’ Hall of Fame players include Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Walt Bellamy, Pete Maravich, JoJo White and Artis Gilmore. Prior to the NBA, he was named Big 8 Coach of the Year, leading Kansas State to the Sweet Sixteen (1970). He also guided Moberly Junior College to two junior college national championships (1966, 1967). Fitzsimmons is an enshrinee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (1981) and National Junior College Hall of Fame (1985).   HOWARD GARFINKEL [Contributor] – Honored posthumously, Garkfinkel is recognized as the Co-Founder and longtime director of Five-Star Basketball Camp, which revolutionized scouting, recruiting, and coaching development. Hall of Famers who served as Five-Star Camp Counselors include Hubie Brown, John Calipari, Bobby Knight and George Raveling. Several Five-Star alumni would also go on to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame including Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Grant Hill and Tim Duncan. Five-Star’s drill-station style became the standard for basketball camps and countless participants went on to play in the NBA. Prior to Five-Star, Garfinkel started High School Basketball Illustrated in 1965, the first high school scouting report. He was inducted into the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.   Early African American Pioneers Committee Direct Elect: CLARENCE “FATS” JENKINS [Player] – Recognized posthumously, Jenkins was a two-sport professional athlete in both baseball and basketball in the 1920’s and 1930’s when both sports were racially segregated. A native of New York City, he played basketball for the St. Christopher's Club youth team and then for the first teams that were named "Colored Basketball World's Champions" in 1917, 1918 and 1919. Jenkins then went on to play for the New York Incorporators, the Loendi Big Five, the Commonwealth Big Five and eventually the renowned New York Renaissance where he served as team captain. The Colored Basketball World Championships were won by his team for eight straight years, even though he moved twice to three different teams. Standing at just 5’7” and 170 pounds, Jenkins was admired for his ability to remain poised and guide his team, while always aspiring for excellence.   International Committee Direct Elect: TONI KUKOC [Player] – Kukoc is a three-time NBA Champion (1996-98) and an NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1996).  He played in the NBA from 1993 to 2006 and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 1994. He is a five-time Euroscar European Player of the Year (1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998) and three-time EuroLeague MVP (1990, 1991, 1993). With Yugoslavia, he earned a FIBA World Championships gold medal (1990) and a silver medal in the 1988 Olympics. He also earned a silver medal in the Olympics with Croatia (1992). He was named the FIBA World Championships MVP (1990) and is on the list of FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players (1991).   Veterans Committee Direct Elect: BOB DANDRIDGE [Player] – Dandridge was a premier player of the 1970s during his 12-year professional career in the NBA. With the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets, he won NBA Championships in 1971 and 1978 respectively. Dandridge is a four-time NBA All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, 1979). He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1970 and All-NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive Team in 1979. A native of Richmond, he played collegiately at Norfolk State College from 1965-69 where he averaged 22.6 points and 13 rebounds per game. In 1969, he earned several CIAA honors including All-Conference, All-Tournament and Tournament MVP while averaging 32.8 point in his senior season.   Women’s Veterans Committee Direct Elect: PEARL MOORE [Player] – As a four-time AIAW Small College All-American from 1975-1979 at Francis Marion College, Moore scored 4,061 points, making her the women’s college basketball all-time leader in points scored. She averaged 30 points per game and scored in double figures in all 127 college games she played. In 1979, Moore was named American Women’s Sports Foundation Small College Player of the Year, South Carolina AIAW Player of the Year and South Carolina Amateur Athlete of the Year. As a pro, she played two seasons in the WBL and was named an All-Star in 1981. Moore is an enshrinee of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame (2000).   About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #21HoopClass or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.   Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact: Nicole Taylor, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com    PHILADELPHIA’S HOWARD SUSPENDED   NEW YORK, May 14, 2021 – Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard has been suspended one game without pay for receiving his 16th technical foul of the 2020-21 season, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.   Under NBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended without pay for one game once he receives his 16th technical foul during a regular season.  For every two additional technical fouls received during that regular season, the player or coach will be automatically suspended without pay for an additional game.   Howard received his most recent technical foul with 10:19 remaining in the second quarter of the 76ers’ 106-94 loss to the Miami Heat on May 13 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Howard will serve his suspension tonight when the 76ers play host to the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center. BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE UNVEILS TEAM ROSTERS AHEAD OF INAUGURAL SEASON   - BAL Rosters Feature 154 Players from 24 Countries Across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S. -   - Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club to Face Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers in First BAL Game on May 16 at 4:00 p.m. CAT / 10 a.m. ET -   DAKAR, SENEGAL, May 14, 2021 – The Basketball Africa League (BAL) today unveiled the rosters of all 12 BAL teams ahead of the league’s inaugural season, which tips off Sunday, May 16 at 4:00 p.m. CAT / 10 a.m. ET at the Kigali Arena in Rwanda.  BAL rosters feature 154 players from 24 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.*    Each of the 12 teams, which come from 12 African countries, will have up to 13 players (12 active and one inactive), at least nine of whom are citizens in their respective team’s home country and up to four of whom are from other countries, with no more than two players per team from outside of Africa.   Ben Uzoh, who joined Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers, is poised to become the first former NBA player to play in the BAL, having played for the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors from 2010-12.  He was also a member of the Nigeria Senior Men’s National Team at the 2016 Olympics, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and FIBA AfroBasket in 2013 and 2015.   Nine players bring NBA G League experience to the BAL’s first season: Brandon Jay Costner and Prince Ibeh (Rwanda’s Patriots BBC); Myck Kabongo and Demarcus Holland (Mozambique’s Ferroviàrio de Maputo), Ibrahima Thomas (Mali’s AS Police); Uzoh, Taren Sullivan and Robert Christopher Daniels (Rivers Hoopers); and Ater Majok (Tunisia’s US Monastir).  Twenty-one BAL players have NCAA Division 1 experience, with 11 of the 12 teams featuring at least one former Division 1 player.   BAL teams feature a combined 19 players who previously participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program for top prospects from across the continent, including Mohab Yasser Abdelaty Abdallatif (Egypt’s Zamalek).  Abdallatif is poised to graduate from NBA Academy Africa this year and becomes the first NBA Academy prospect to play in the BAL.    *Rosters are subject to change   About the BAL The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, is a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa.  The BAL, which is headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Regional Office Africa has organized in Africa and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America.  Fans can follow the BAL @theBAL on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and register their interest in receiving more information at www.theBAL.com. NBA CREATES ANNUAL KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPION AWARD – New Award to Recognize NBA Players’ Social Justice Efforts –   – Award Winner to Choose Organization to Receive $100,000 Contribution; Other Four Finalists to Select Beneficiaries to Receive $25,000 Each –   NEW YORK, May 13, 2021 – The NBA today announced the creation of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award, a new annual honor that will recognize a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and upholding the league’s decades-long values of equality, respect and inclusion.   The award is named after six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  The recipient will have advanced Abdul-Jabbar’s mission to drive change and inspired others to reflect on injustice and take collective action in their communities over the previous year.   The winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion honor will select an organization to receive a $100,000 contribution on his behalf.  The other four finalists will each select an organization to receive a $25,000 contribution.   "I’m honored and grateful to be associated with this award that will recognize the dedicated and selfless people fighting to promote social justice for all marginalized people,” said Abdul-Jabbar.  “To me, it’s another giant step in the right direction for the country and all people who value equality.”   “In addition to being one of our greatest players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has devoted much of his life to advocating for equality and social justice,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.  “With this new award, we are proud to recognize and celebrate NBA players who are using their influence to make an impact on their communities and our broader society.”   All 30 NBA teams will nominate one player from their roster to be the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion.  The finalists and winner will be selected by a committee composed of NBA legends, league executives and social justice leaders.   Abdul-Jabbar has been a champion of inclusivity dating to his youth.  At 17, he met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Abdul-Jabbar’s hometown of Harlem, N.Y.  Inspired by King’s message, Abdul-Jabbar committed to using his influence as a visible athlete to engage on critically important social issues during the Civil Rights Movement.  He attended the 1967 Cleveland Summit where Bill Russell, Jim Brown and other prominent Black athletes gathered to discuss Muhammad Ali’s refusal to serve in the Vietnam War.  Abdul-Jabbar has continued to promote equality and combat discrimination in the decades since his retirement from basketball.  In 2016, former President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.  In 2009, Abdul-Jabbar created the Skyhook Foundation, aimed at providing educational STEM opportunities to underserved communities.   One of the most accomplished players in NBA history, Abdul-Jabbar holds league records for regular-season MVP awards (six), All-Star Game selections (19) and career points (38,387) captured during his 20 NBA seasons playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks.  Abdul-Jabbar joined the NBA in the 1969-70 season after leading UCLA to three consecutive national championships.    Additional details regarding the inaugural award, including the finalists and winner, will be announced during the postseason.   # # #   About the NBA The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2020-21 season featured 107 international players from 41 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.9 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes. WNBA Announces Innovative Blueprint, New Partnerships and Significant Prize Pool for Inaugural Commissioner’s Cup   – Players to Vie for Prize Pool of Half a Million Dollars –   – Commissioner’s Cup Games to Convene Fans, Players, and Partners in Local Communities for Ongoing Conversations and Programming Centered on Equality and Social Justice –   –  Amazon Prime Video’s First Global Partnership with a Women’s Professional Sports League Includes Streaming Rights to WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game –   –  Google, Deloitte and Wilson Headline Sponsors for Innovative Competition Platform –   NEW YORK, May 12, 2021 – As part of the WNBA’s focus on innovation, the league will launch its inaugural Commissioner’s Cup in-season competition during the upcoming 2021 season.  Conference rivalry bragging rights, a unique Commissioner’s Cup trophy and a prize pool of a half a million dollars will all be at stake when the inaugural WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game is played on Thursday, Aug. 12, at Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.  The Championship Game will be the culmination of the WNBA’s first annual, in-season competition that designates a portion of regular-season games in the first half of the season – 10 per team, 60 in total– as Commissioner’s Cup play, the WNBA announced today.   Exclusive live coverage of the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game will be streamed by Amazon Prime Video as part of a multi-year agreement announced earlier today that gives Prime Video international streaming rights to 16 WNBA games per season, including nine Commissioner Cup games and the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game. The Cup games will also serve as an opportunity to continue the WNBA’s work to foster social justice and highlight important conversations and programming centered on equality with fans, players and partners.   Demonstrating their continued commitment to the WNBA during its 25th season, official sponsors and WNBA Changemakers Deloitte and Google, along with Wilson, the Official Game Ball of the WNBA, will be promoting and activating around the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup events as part of their support for the league’s innovative marketing and community-driven initiatives.   “To have the Commissioner’s Cup come to life in this historic 25th WNBA season is a testament to the players, fans, partners and WNBA teams who have supported and driven innovation at the league,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.  “Together, we view the Commissioner’s Cup not just as a compelling competition, but as a multi-faceted platform designed to drive opportunities for broader fan engagement, create additional interest around our regular season games, convene around equity and equality themes in our WNBA markets, and provide the players with an opportunity to earn significant cash compensation.” Regular season action will take on an added level of importance as 60 select, intra-conference “Cup games” will determine the Eastern Conference team and Western Conference team that will advance to the first ever Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game.   “Cup games” will be the first home game and first road game each team plays against its five conference rivals, all set to take place in the first half of the season between Friday, May 14, and Sunday, July 11, prior to the in-season break due to the Olympic games.  The complete schedule of “Cup Games” can be found here.   The team from each conference with the highest winning percentage in “Cup games” will earn a berth to the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game on Aug. 12.    The title game on Aug. 12, which will refocus the spotlight on WNBA stars prior to the resumption of regular-season action for all 12 teams on Sunday, Aug. 15, will see players vie for a piece of the $500,000 prize pool.  Members of the winning team will be able to earn in excess of $30,000 per player, while those on the runner-up team will have an opportunity to earn $10,000 per player.  An additional $5,000 will be awarded to the MVP of the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game.   Amazon Prime Video’s WNBA coverage tips off on Saturday, May 29, as guards Chennedy Carter, Courtney Williams and the Atlanta Dream travel to the Big Apple to take on Sabrina Ionescu and newly acquired 2020 WNBA champion Natasha Howard and the New York Liberty.  This matchup will be the first time Prime Video has exclusive international streaming rights to a professional basketball game.     The WNBA on Prime Video will be available across hundreds of compatible devices worldwide as part of a Prime membership (excluding China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy).  Prime Video games will be distributed in the participating teams’ markets through the teams’ local distribution partners. NBA AND NBPA ANNOUNCE COVID-19 TEST RESULTS NEW YORK, May 12, 2021 – Of the 497 players tested for COVID-19 since May 5, one new player has returned a confirmed positive test.    Anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test, or has been identified as having been in close contact to an infected person, is isolated or quarantined until they are cleared under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association in accordance with CDC guidance.  BASKETBALL AFRICA LEAGUE ANNOUNCES BROADCAST PARTNERS AND GAME SCHEDULE AHEAD OF INAUGURAL SEASON   - Canal+, ESPN, beIN SPORTS, NBA TV, Tencent Video, TSN, American Forces Network and Voice of America to Broadcast BAL Games Around the World -   - Inaugural BAL Season Will Reach Fans in 215 Countries and Territories in 15 Languages -   - Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club to Face Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers in First BAL Game on May 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. CAT -   DAKAR, SENEGAL, May 12, 2021 – The Basketball Africa League (BAL) today announced partnerships with Canal+, ESPN, beIN SPORTS, NBA TV, Tencent Video, TSN, American Forces Network (AFN) and Voice of America (VOA) to broadcast BAL games throughout Africa and around the world.  The inaugural BAL season will tip off Sunday, May 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. CAT when Rwanda’s Patriots Basketball Club takes on Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers at the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.     The other opening games in the group phase will feature Senegal’s Association Sportive des Douanes vs. Algeria’s Groupement Sportif des Pétroliers, Egypt’s Zamalek vs. Mozambique’s Ferroviàrio de Maputo, Tunisia’s Union Sportive Monastirienne vs. Madagascar’s Gendarmerie Nationale Basketball Club, Angola’s Petro de Luanda vs. Mali’s Association Sportive de la Police, and Morocco’s Association Sportive de Salé vs. Cameroon’s Forces Armées et Police Basketball.  The first BAL Finals will be held Sunday, May 30 at 10:00 a.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. CAT.   Canal+ and ESPN will air all 26 BAL games across Francophone and Anglophone countries and territories in sub-Saharan Africa.  Canal+ will also produce and distribute original ancillary programming, including weekly magazine show “BAL Action.”  VOA will broadcast 24 games, including select games in English, French, Portuguese, Kinyarwanda, Bambara and Wolof across its extensive radio network in Africa, with additional programming across its online and mobile platforms.  beIN Media Group, the global sports and entertainment broadcaster, through its flagship channel beIN SPORTS, will air all 26 games in Arabic in the Middle East and North Africa, including the opening game, quarterfinals, semifinals and Finals.   Select free-to-air channels throughout Africa will also air BAL games, including the opening game, quarterfinals, semifinals and Finals.   In the U.S, all games will be available on ESPN+ while the opening game and Finals will also air on ESPNews.  ESPN will air the opening game and Finals in select countries in Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America, and all BAL games will air on ESPN’s digital platforms in those same regions.  BAL games and programming will also be available in Canada on TSN and in China on Tencent Video.  AFN, which is distributed in 168 countries and territories to American military bases and ships at seas, will air select games live and on delay throughout the season.   NBA TV will broadcast 12 live games and select games on delay in the U.S. and around the world across the group phase, quarterfinals, semifinals and Finals.  All BAL games will livestream on the NBA App, the official NBA website nba.com and the official BAL website, theBAL.com.   “We’re excited to work with this group of world-class distribution partners to broadcast our historic inaugural season,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.  “I encourage basketball fans in Africa and around the world to tune in on May 16 and throughout the season to see the best talent in Africa and beyond compete for the right to be crowned the first BAL champion.”   BAL game broadcasts will utilize the NBA’s Global Statistical System (NGSS), which has been built and supported by NBA partner Genius Sports.   The BAL will tip off with an 18-game group phase with the 12 teams divided into three groups of four.  During the group phase, each team will face the three other teams in its group once.  The top eight teams from the group phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be single elimination in all three rounds.                GROUP A GROUP B GROUP C GNBC (Madagascar) Petro de Luanda (Angola) GSP  (Algeria) Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria) FAP (Cameroon) Zamalek (Egypt) Patriots BBC (Rwanda) AS Police (Mali) Ferroviàrio de Maputo (Mozambique) US Monastir (Tunisia) AS Salé (Morocco) AS Douanes (Senegal) Additional details about the BAL will be announced in the coming days.  Below is the complete BAL game schedule:   2021 BAL REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE   DATE TEAM 1 TEAM 2 GROUP   TIME (ET) TIME  (CAT) 16/05/2021 Patriots BBC River Hoopers A 10:00 A.M. 4:00 P.M.             17/05/2021 AS Douanes GSP C 8:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 17/05/2021 Zamalek Maputo C 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. 17/05/2021 US Monastir GNBC A 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.             18/05/2021 Petro de Luanda AS Police B 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. 18/05/2021 AS Salé FAP B 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.             19/05/2021 GNBC Patriots BBC A 8:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 19/05/2021 Maputo AS Douanes C 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. 19/05/2021 Zamalek GSP C 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.             20/05/2021 FAP Petro de Luanda B 8:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 20/05/2021 US Monastir River Hoopers A 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. 20/05/2021 AS Salé AS Police B 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.             22/05/2021 GSP Maputo C 8:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 22/05/2021 AS Douanes Zamalek C 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. 22/05/2021 Patriots BBC US Monastir A 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.             23/05/2021 River Hoopers GNBC A 8:00 A.M. 2:00 P.M. 23/05/2021 AS Police FAP B 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. 23/05/2021 Petro de Luanda AS Salé B 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.                                                                 2021 BAL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE   DATE TEAM 1 TEAM 2 GAME TIME (ET) TIME (CAT)   QUARTERFINALS 25/05/2021 Seed 1 Seed 4 G19 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M.   25/05/2021 Seed 2 Seed 3 G20 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.   26/05/2021 Seed 5 Seed 8 G21 11:30 A.M 5:30 P.M.   26/05/2021 Seed 6 Seed 7 G22 3:00 P.M. 9:00 P.M.     SEMIFINALS 28/05/2021 W19 W22 G23 11:30 A.M. 5:30 P.M. First-ever FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup coming to Miami in November 2021 May 12, 2021 Miami (United States) – The best 3x3 national teams in the Americas will get a chance to compete for continental supremacy when they meet for the first AmeriCup in 3x3 history in Miami scheduled November 12-14, 2021. The event will be conducted in partnership with Vaunt Inc. (Vaunt), a sports and entertainment intellectual property (IP) development company that creates and produces alternative competitions and culturally-relevant content.  This historic moment marks FIBA 3x3’s return to Miami nine years after the city hosted the final of the first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Tour and commences Vaunt’s multi-year relationship as the Local Organizing Committee with FIBA for the exclusive rights to the 3x3 AmeriCup in the Americas. “The FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup will be a great enabler for us to accelerate growth of the game across our zone,” FIBA Americas Executive Director Carlos Alves said. “We’re thrilled to bring the AmeriCup 3x3 to Miami, not only because Miami is where we have our regional head office, but more importantly, the city encompasses all the main traits of our game: urban, iconic, vibrant, international and multi-cultural.” “I became a part of the FIBA family in 2001 through my experience playing with USA Basketball,” Vaunt CEO Roger Mason Jr said. “Now as the co-founder of Vaunt whose goal is to align opportunities at the intersections of sport, technology, content and competition, my basketball journey has come full circle with this groundbreaking partnership. As a former Miami Heat player, I am excited about bringing the Americup to Miami and the impact we will make for years to come.”  The participating teams will be announced at a later stage. As it is the case for every FIBA 3x3 national team official competition, the event will feature the same number of men and women’s teams, who will play alternatively on the same court in front of the same fans.

Noticias sobre La Liga....

 

 ESPN y LaLiga llegan a un histórico acuerdo de derechos para llevar la destacada liga de fútbol a millones de personas en EE. UU.

Este amplio acuerdo de derechos con una duración de ocho años iniciará a partir de agosto. La competición estará disponible tanto en idioma inglés y español para todos los fans en EEUU.

ESPN+ será el nuevo hogar de LaLiga tanto en inglés como en español: se dará cobertura en vivo de todos los 380 partidos de LaLiga Santander además de una programación con partidos de LaLiga SmartBank durante toda la temporada

Determinados partidos en vivo cada temporada en las cadenas de ESPN

ESPN y LaLiga acaban de celebrar un amplio acuerdo a largo plazo y ESPN+ pasará a ser el nuevo hogar, tanto en idioma inglés como español, de LaLiga Santander y LaLiga SmartBank en Estados Unidos durante las próximas ocho temporadas (hasta 2028-29). A partir del mes de agosto, estarán disponibles exclusivamente en ESPN+ cientos de partidos en vivo de ambas ligas cada año. ESPN ya es el hogar de la Copa del Rey, la Copa de la Reina y la Supercopa de España.

LaLiga Santander, la principal división del fútbol español, es una de las ligas deportivas más importantes del mundo que reúne a 20 clubes, donde se disputan grandes partidos como ElClásico o los derbis locales, con protagonistas como el: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid y Sevilla FC, entre otros. ESPN+ ofrecerá cobertura en directo vía streaming, y repeticiones bajo demanda, de los 380 partidos de LaLiga Santander por temporada. Además, ESPN+ transmitirá en vivo una selección de los partidos de LaLiga SmartBank en cada ronda durante la temporada, incluidas cinco eliminatorias de promoción de postemporada. Todos los partidos estarán disponibles para los aficionados tanto en inglés como en español. 

Además de los partidos en vivo, ESPN+ ofrecerá una variedad de programación complementaria, como previas a los encuentros, momentos destacados y programas de actualidad, y seguirá cubriendo ampliamente LaLiga en programas emblemáticos de ESPN+ como ESPN FC, Jorge Ramos y su Banda y Fuera de Juego. 

Cada temporada se retransmitirán determinados partidos en todas las cadenas de ESPN, con cobertura y momentos más destacados también disponibles en SportsCenter y otros programas de estudio de ESPN, así como en las plataformas digitales y sociales de ESPN.

El acuerdo de derechos a ocho años con LaLiga se viene a sumar a la propuesta de fútbol en ESPN+ ya líder en la industria, que actualmente incluye la Copa Del Rey de España, la Bundesliga de Alemania, la MLS, la FA Cup, la EFL y la Carabao Cup de Inglaterra, la Eredivisie de Holanda, la Premiership de Escocia, el torneo de equipos nacionales de la UEFA, USL y muchas otros. En total, ESPN+ ofrece a los fans más de 2900 partidos por temporada (más de 1000 tanto en inglés como en español).

“Este acuerdo llevará la emoción, la pasión, los clubes emblemáticos y las superestrellas de nivel mundial de LaLiga a los aficionados al deporte en los EE. UU. con acceso y cobertura sin precedentes”, señala Burke Magnus, vicepresidente ejecutivo de programación y contenido original de ESPN. “A medida que sigue creciendo la importancia del fútbol en el mercado de EE. UU., nos motiva muchísimo poder colaborar con LaLiga y reforzar la conexión con los fans de este país, a través de las plataformas de streaming, las cadenas televisivas y los medios digitales y de redes sociales de nuestra compañía, líderes en la industria”. 

“Estamos absolutamente entusiasmados con llevar LaLiga a ESPN en EE. UU.”, indica Javier Tebas, presidente de LaLiga. “Es un acuerdo histórico de ocho temporada en la retransmisión del fútbol en EE.UU, el cual refleja la fuerza de LaLiga y sus clubes en el mayor mercado de medios de comunicación del mundo, que traerá la mejor liga de fútbol del mundo a las pantallas en este país de una manera más completa y moderna que nunca”. 

Russell Wolff, vicepresidente ejecutivo y gerente general de ESPN+, agrega: “Con este acuerdo se crea un verdadero espacio para LaLiga en EE. UU. para los próximos años y consolida a ESPN+ como la principal plataforma para el fútbol. Nos entusiasma la idea de mostrar el brillo de LaLiga en nuestra cobertura en inglés y español para la legión cada vez mayor de aficionados del fútbol y suscriptores de ESPN+”. 

Boris Gartner, director ejecutivo para Norteamérica de LaLiga, señala: “El hecho de asociarnos con ESPN nos permitirá ofrecer programación específica de LaLiga en ESPN+ y en todas las plataformas digitales y la cadena de ESPN, y brindar así un servicio superior a los aficionados existentes y compartir con los nuevos consumidores la emoción y la pasión de LaLiga. LaLiga, los clubes y los jugadores estarán más cerca que nunca de los fans estadounidenses, en un momento en que el fútbol está creciendo a pasos agigantados en EE. UU.”

El acuerdo también incluye derechos para Canadá. TSN y RDS, las principales cadenas de deportes de Canadá, ofrecerán cobertura integral de los partidos de LaLiga a los espectadores canadienses a través de una diversidad de plataformas que incluyen transmisiones televisivas nacionales y transmisión en vivo en TSN.ca, RDS.ca y las apps de TSN y RDS. 

Entre los aspectos más destacados del acuerdo a largo plazo se incluyen:

• 380 partidos de LaLiga Santander por temporada, con la presentación de los 20 equipos de la primera división de fútbol de España, incluyendo, entre otras, las actuaciones de los principales equipos como FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid y Sevilla FC;
• Determinados partidos de LaLiga SmartBank, que presenta la Segunda División de España;
• Cinco partidos eliminatorios de promoción cada temporada;
• LaLigaTV, con contenido premium de la red en idioma inglés de 24 horas todos los días;
• LaLiga Show y LaLiga World: dos programas semanales de actualidades dentro de las temporadas. 
  • LaLiga Show ofrece un anticipo de los principales partidos de LaLiga en cada semana de partidos;
  • LaLiga World presenta aspectos destacados, entrevistas y momentos clásicos de los partidos del fin de semana anterior;
• Análisis previo y revisión de cada temporada de LaLiga: dos programas individuales de una hora antes y después de la temporada cada año;
• Especiales de El Clásico: programas de una hora que presentan el derbi más famoso del fútbol mundial como anticipo de los partidos de temporada regular entre FC Barcelona y Real Madrid como visitantes y locales;
• LaLiga Highlights Show, que ofrece un resumen de los partidos de cada semana, programas especiales sobre el fútbol de primera división de España, un programa semanal de momentos destacados y actualidades de LaLiga SmartBank y mucho más.
• Partidos clásicos de LaLiga: acceso a algunos de los partidos recientes más comentados

A partir del sábado 15 de mayo, ESPN+ comenzará una colección de programas de LaLiga. Entre ellos se incluyen: Especial de ESPNFC LaLiga, episodios de LaLiga Center destacando los mejores goles, los mejores jugadores de E.E. U.U. en la historia de la liga, y mucho más; LaLiga Top Moments; Galácticos, un documental de tres partes sobre el Real Madrid de principios del 2000; y United States of LaLiga, el cual presenta historias únicas de los aficionados de LaLiga en Norteamérica.

Este trascendental acuerdo se concreta tras la creación de LaLiga North America, una joint venture entre LaLiga y Relevent Sports lanzado en 2018 con el objetivo de contribuir al crecimiento del fútbol en EE. UU. y acercar LaLiga, sus clubes y sus jugadores a los aficionados estadounidenses. LaLiga y Relevent Sports han establecido un modelo líder de cooperación para contribuir al crecimiento del deporte y la marca de ligas y clubes internacionales en el mercado de medios de difusión más importante del mundo.

Fundada en 1929, LaLiga Santander es la liga de fútbol de primera división de España. Se clasifica frecuentemente entre las mejores ligas profesionales del mundo. En 2021, la Federación Internacional de Historia y Estadística de Fútbol (IFFHS) clasificó a LaLiga como la mejor liga del mundo de la década (2011-2020). En conjunto, los clubes de LaLiga han ganado cinco de los últimos 10 títulos de la UEFA Champions League, la principal competición internacional de clubes del fútbol en el mundo. Los equipos de LaLiga han ganado además cinco de los anteriores 10 trofeos de la UEFA Europa League. Real Madrid y FC Barcelona, los dos clubes más exitosos de LaLiga, ocupan respectivamente el puesto número 1 y 5 en victorias históricas en la Champions League. 

LaLiga y sus clubes se han convertido en el destino de jugadores destacados de la CONCACAF, la Confederación de Asociaciones de Fútbol de Norteamérica, Centroamérica y el Caribe. Tres de las más grandes promesas profesionales del equipo nacional masculino estadounidense que juegan en LaLiga: Sergiño Dest (FC Barcelona), el primer jugador del equipo nacional masculino de EE. UU. en el equipo titular, Konrad de la Fuente (FC Barcelona B) y Yunus Musah (Valencia CF). Además, participan jugadores del equipo nacional de México como Héctor Herrera (Atlético Madrid), Diego Láinez y Andrés Guardado (Real Betis), y Néstor Araujo (RC Celta Vigo). Anthony ‘Choco’ Lozano (Cádiz CF), estrella del equipo nacional de Honduras, completa la lista de jugadores de la CONCACAF en LaLiga. 

LaLiga atrae a las estrellas más grandes y es hogar de iconos mundiales como Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos y Karim Benzema. Durante los últimos 11 años, el premio Balón de Oro al mejor jugador del mundo ha quedado en manos de un jugador de LaLiga. LaLiga también está formando a algunos de los jóvenes talentos más prometedores del mundo como João Félix (Atlético Madrid), Vinícius Jr. (Real Madrid), Ansu Fati y Pedri (FC Barcelona).

Además del impresionante desempeño en competencias internacionales dentro de la cancha, dentro de LaLiga se encuentran algunas de las más grandes rivalidades del fútbol. El Clásico, el encuentro entre Real Madrid y FC Barcelona, es probablemente el derbi más popular y comentado del fútbol mundial. Entre los demás encuentros destacados se incluyen El Derbi Madrileño (Real Madrid y Atlético Madrid); el Derbi Vasco (Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad) y El Gran Derbi (Sevilla FC vs. Real Betis).

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CONTACTOS:

ESPN+ -- Paul Melvin paul.melvin@disney.com 860.766.5069 / Kevin Ota kevin.r.ota@disney.com 860.766.9581

ESPN – Bill Hofheimer bill.hofheimer@espn.com 860.766.9589 / Mac Nwulu mac.nwulu@espn.com 860.766.4196; Santa Brito, santa.brito@espn.com 347.446.3862

LaLiga (España) – Josué Sánchez jsanchezc@laliga.es +34 689.566.335

Relevent Sports Group/LaLiga North America – Sabrina Carrozza scarrozza@laliga.es +1 646 596-2853

 

Acerca de ESPN+

ESPN+ es el servicio de streaming de deportes líder en la industria que ofrece a los fans en EE. UU. miles de eventos deportivos en vivo, programación original no disponible en la televisión lineal ni en las cadenas digitales de ESPN, y contenido editorial exclusivo de decenas de redactores y periodistas de ESPN. Lanzado en abril de 2018, ESPN+ ha crecido hasta alcanzar más de 13.8 millones de suscriptores. 

ESPN+ ostenta la colección más completa de fútbol en vivo disponible en una misma plataforma en Estados Unidos; ofrece más de 2000 partidos por año de La Liga y la Copa Del Rey, la Bundesliga y la DFB Pokal, la FA Cup, la Liga de Fútbol y la Carabao Cup de Inglaterra, la Premier League de Escocia, la Eredivisie de Holanda, las Ligas Mayores de Fútbol, la Superliga de Dinamarca y la USL, entre otras. 

Los aficionados pueden suscribirse a ESPN+ por solo $5.99 al mes (o $59.99 al año) en ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com o en la ESPN App (dispositivos móviles y conectados). También está disponible como parte del paquete The Disney Bundle que les ofrece a los suscriptores acceso a Disney+, ESPN+ y Hulu por 13.99$ al mes (Hulu con anuncios) o 19.99$ al mes (Hulu sin anuncios). 

Acerca de LaLiga

LaLiga es una organización mundial, innovadora y socialmente responsable, líder en el sector del ocio y el entretenimiento. Es una asociación deportiva privada conformada por los 20 clubes de LaLiga Santander y los 22 de LaLiga SmartBank, y es responsable de la organización de estas competencias nacionales de fútbol profesional. En la temporada 2018/2019, LaLiga alcanzó una audiencia acumulada de más de 2.7 billones de personas de todo el mundo. Con sede principal en Madrid (España), está presente en 41 países a través de 11 oficinas y 44 delegaciones, cubriendo así 84 países. La asociación lleva adelante su acción social a través de su Fundación y es la primera liga de fútbol profesional del mundo en crear una liga para futbolistas con dificultades intelectuales: LaLiga Genuine Santander

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Watch

May 14, 2021

Transcript of Today’s ESPN-LaLiga Media Conference Call

The leaders of LaLiga, ESPN, Relevent Sports and global soccer legend Gerard Piqué, discussed ESPN and LaLiga’s expansive, long-term agreement during a conference call this morning. The transcript:

THE MODERATOR (ESPN’s Fernando Palomo): Welcome to ESPN's headquarters. I'm Fernando Palomo. I'm joined by a stellar panel that will candidly talk to you about the deal that brings LaLiga back to ESPN and to the millions of fútbol fans across the country exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ABC and ESPN+ in both Spanish and English.

Javier Tebas, President, LaLiga

Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content

Burke Magnus, Executive Vice President, Programming and Original Content, ESPN

Stephen Ross, Chairman and Owner, Relevent Sports Group

Danny Sillman, CEO, Relevent Sports Group.

I'll begin with opening remarks. I'll start by saying Jimmy Pitaro, congratulations on the deal. What are you most excited about with this new relationship with LaLiga? Welcome.

JAMES PITARO: Good morning, Fernando. Let me start by saying that I, too, am incredibly excited about this new agreement. LaLiga is one of the best and most popular sports leagues in the world with a number of the top clubs and some of the best players. We are excited to now be the exclusive U.S. home of all 380 LaLiga Santander matches per season as well as LaLiga Smartbank matches. That is across both linear and digital platforms in both English and Spanish.

We’ve been very focused on growing our Spanish language content offerings and that is on ESPN+. LaLiga will play a big part in that going forward. Our direct-to-consumer business, led by ESPN+, is a company priority. LaLiga content will help fuel that platform.

Quite simply, this content will further solidify ESPN+ as a must have for soccer fans. LaLiga will now be a part of a lineup that already includes more than 2900 soccer matches per season from around the globe.

In addition to those matches, we will have a full suite of LaLiga surround programming – again in English and Spanish. That will include magazine shows, weekly and season previews and reviews, highlight specials, and much more. Again, the incredible content will be featured across all platforms including our linear networks as well.

You will also see us really getting behind LaLiga on the digital side and on the social side of our business where we continue to show tremendous growth. We know soccer content attracts young, diverse and tech-savvy fans, and we're thrilled to be able to serve them across these various platforms.

In terms of our overall reach and for some context here, ESPN Digital has been the number one U.S. sports property for 37 consecutive months. The ESPN app continues to maintain its leadership position as the number one U.S. mobile sports app. ESPN Social continues to be the number one sports media publisher for engagement – that's across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ESPN on TikTok just eclipsed 1 billion likes.

We know soccer is growing in popularity in the U.S., and we at ESPN are now excited to increase the exposure of Spanish fútbol and be a part of its growth. At ESPN+ we've seen growing engagement with our soccer content over the last two years. And we're excited to make more progress in this space with LaLiga.

We can't wait for the LaLiga season to start. However, we're also very excited to get going with a curated collection of LaLiga programming on ESPN+ that will help introduce new fans to LaLiga stars, teams, rivalries and traditions.

We'll launch all of this content this Saturday, May 15th, on ESPN+. We'll continue to grow the offerings here to help raise interest as we build towards the season start in August.

Finally, I do want to express my sincere gratitude to Javier Tebas, Stephen Ross and their respective teams. We're excited to begin the new relationship and partnership with LaLiga.

THE MODERATOR: I can relate to the comment that you mentioned before that LaLiga attracts young fans. Being part of that group, I can say that LaLiga really attracts attention every weekend.

Now, we jump over to Spain. We fly over, virtually, to meet Javier Tebas.

It is a pleasure to say hello. This is going to -- this is going to mean great progress in the U.S. How did all this start and how did the deal start?

JAVIER TEBAS: I would say it's a long and complex process. LaLiga, for four years approximately, or we decided four years ago that we would change our strategy regarding the U.S., which first is an ideal place. We've got a lot of followers. But we've got potential for further growth.

So, four years ago we looked at the possibility of an association with Stephen Ross, with Relevent, with Danny to see how we could grow in the U.S. The first thing we did was joint venture with them in the U.S. But within that deal we thought that we would have to look at ways of increasing our exposure and also what I've been saying is that I like to be everywhere with the best and the level of true excellence.

That's what we want in the U.S. We want to be with the best. ESPN and Disney are the best. So, we started to work with them and we had a year of negotiations and conversations to close the deal and we've done it. I think that this is what we wanted strategically.

We wanted to be excellent. We wanted to be with the best and we wanted to be with the most passionate people. We have passion for soccer and for Spanish soccer and for our teams.

I think that this association, this partnership as Jimmy said before, is going to help us grow; and that strategy of ESPN is -- on the Spanish speaking or for the Spanish speaking audiences will help us grow too. It is eight years and maybe -- only I think it will be more. We want to continue to make this Spanish soccer grow. ESPN and Disney and the U.S. and make it grow.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. Now, we are really excited about this. Enough said. I told you initially we're extremely excited.

Eighty-nine days away from that opening weekend of LaLiga's next season, which will be the first of this deal and the first of many years to come for LaLiga on ESPN.

Now, let's fly over to Relevent's headquarters in New York. Mr. Stephen Ross and Mr. Danny Sillman, welcome and thank you for joining us.

You guys have been involved in the development of the game in the U.S. for many years. Where do you see the future of this sport in the U.S.? How do you think this partnership will help fútbol -- f-ú-t-b-o-l -- grow in the U.S.?

STEPHEN ROSS: As you said, we've been involved, about the last 10 years, in bringing international soccer to the United States and playing around the whole country and seeing the popularity of the sport grow. We've had crowds as many as a 110,000 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and I think we've sold out about every stadium we've played with these great international teams.

What we've learned, probably the two most popular teams is Real Madrid and Barcelona. Working and understanding the markets we see the enthusiasm that's really been generated and we're really proud to be able to work with these two great brands bring them together and really create and show America how great European and especially LaLiga soccer is.

Danny, who is the CEO of the company, has played a major role in developing those markets.

DANIEL SILLMAN: Thank you. I think for us the opportunity for the future is really finding great partners both in LaLiga that are willing to be innovative and creative in how they approach entering international markets, both with bringing events but also telling stories of players, great players like Gerard Piqué, and of the clubs all the way from Real, Barca and Atlético to Villarreal and Malaga and some of the other clubs that aren't always as talked about as the others.

Obviously, we're greatly thankful to Jimmy Burke and the team at ESPN for the distribution that they're going to bring the league in many new and innovative ways, not just with linear programming, with their family of companies at Disney but also with ESPN+, and that continues to grow.

I think that being able to deliver the product into the hands of people over the top on their phones anywhere is a big, big win for LaLiga and a big win for soccer generally. We are excited we're going to keep growing and we're excited what the World Cup will do in terms of igniting this market. We're thankful to Javier Tebas and the team at LaLiga and to Jimmy at the team at ESPN.

THE MODERATOR: We have a special guest here this morning. Welcome, the minister of defense at FC Barcelona, Gerard Piqué.

GERARD PIQUÉ: Hi, everyone. We're doing good. We could be doing better after the draw on Tuesday. Now LaLiga is difficult for us. It's very difficult to win it this year. But I'm very happy and very excited, as you said, that LaLiga has arrived to this partnership with ESPN. We want to be with the best. ESPN is the best.

I'm sure that our fans, and counting not just LaLiga fans but fútbol fans will be more than happy to show games, to watch our games on ESPN in America. All the times we've had to travel there to play some games, as Steve was saying and Daniel, we had a great experience in different cities. I hope we can go there and play in the future. We know we have a lot of fans in America and at the end of the day we play for them.

THE MODERATOR: Talking about the fans, now that LaLiga will be much closer to the fans in the United States, what would you like to say to the millions of fans of FC Barcelona and LaLiga?

GERARD PIQUÉ: At the end of the day we're here to make them enjoy about this beautiful sport. And I think that every year the level of LaLiga is increasing in terms of the quality of the games, the quality of the players. There are different clubs that are growing so much in the last few years -- to put an example, Levante, which is a club which a few years ago they were in lower divisions. We went to play against them on Tuesday, and we didn't win because they have a strong team and maybe they are not as popular as the other clubs, like ours or Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, but they're doing things very well.

I think it's an opportunity to know much more about a lot of clubs that are doing, a lot of things in the right way and to meet a lot of new players that are coming through and that they have a great level.

THE MODERATOR: You just mentioned the level of the competition. It's raised to a level we haven't seen in decades. How close are we to repeating the adrenaline and passion that has been through this season as far as competitiveness goes in the coming years? How close are we seeing a close title fight repeat itself year in and year out?

GERARD PIQUÉ: I hope it's not as tight as this year and we can win it in the future. But it's true that this year between Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid and us we had a great fight until the end. Let's see who wins at the end of competition.

But there are other clubs that, as I said, they're doing great things. Just to put an example of Sevilla, it's a club that's fighting until the last day also to try to win it. It's very difficult for them because they are a little bit far. But they played very good fútbol and they are there because they deserve it. So, I think that every year there are more clubs fighting to be in the positions in the top and it's very difficult. Every year, it's more difficult to win this competition.

THE MODERATOR: When you came back home with the news that LaLiga had signed a new deal with Disney, what did your kids say?

GERARD PIQUÉ: They love it. They love Disney. And they love to watch, all the kids in the world, the kind of content. But also to add LaLiga and fútbol in Spain, I mean they love the news. I really hope that all the Americans can enjoy the LaLiga and Spanish fútbol because I really believe we are in the best competition worldwide.

THE MODERATOR: Already see it. Big screen TVs for the opening weekend of LaLiga, just throwing ideas out there, Epcot Center, imagine big screen TVs with the opening of LaLiga over there. Jimmy smiling at this point.

JAMES PITARO: I'll take it to my boss, see what he says.

THE MODERATOR: Question for Javier, how do you think this agreement for ESPN would affect the next national tender, and specifically the agreement with Telefonica?

JAVIER TEBAS: Really they're not very related, these two markets. The audiovisual market is very different from the one in Spain. But what might affect the situation, this is a sign that our fútbol wants to be with the best and wants to continue to grow the world over including Spain of course. There's not much relationship between these two markets.

THE MODERATOR: Does ESPN plan to acquire the rights to more European or South American leagues in the future?

JAMES PITARO: I'll take that one, and Burke, please feel free to chime in here. We just celebrated our third anniversary at ESPN+. From day one we've made soccer a priority for the service. Our goal, quite simply, was if you are a soccer fan you need to have ESPN+.

If you fast-forward to today, especially with this partnership with LaLiga, we believe that that's absolutely the case. Like any other area of our business, we will acquire rights that we think make sense, that add value for our sports fans but also that add value for our business. So, we're always looking to acquire more content for the service.

Again, because soccer has been and continues to be such a huge priority for ESPN+, we are always interested in having conversations and discussions around continuing to expand the service.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Jimmy? Burke, you want to jump in on that one?

BURKE MAGNUS: We made it a priority over the last few years. I will suggest that we're always on the hunt for premium content that adds value, so we'll take them as they come. But for today, we couldn't be more excited to get perhaps the best league in the world for the next eight years.

That's our focus. Our priority is to help build LaLiga in the United States. That's their goal and we share that goal and we're going to deliver.

THE MODERATOR: Jimmy, how important is it for the Hispanic market? Will there be LaLiga Santander and LaLiga Smartbank games called in Spanish?

JAMES PITARO: First off, it's incredibly important. Like I said before, we're always looking to acquire content that we believe can move the needle. Right now, the ESPN+ service is in the United States but we're looking at serving both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking fans. It's just another reason why this deal was so incredibly important to us -- not just acquiring the English rights, but also acquiring the Spanish rights. And the answer to your second question is, yes, we will be doing that.

THE MODERATOR: Javier, what impact do you think this change of broadcasting culture will have for the sponsorship contracts for the clubs?

JAVIER TEBAS: I think it will be very important, very significant. It will be a change because it's associated with ESPN and Disney. ESPN, in this case, gives you a great quality in the sphere of soccer in the U.S. Number two, I think we're going to have greater ability to get more exposure through ESPN+.

The promotion that ESPN is going to do will help us to grow in many areas with our fans in the U.S. and what we're going to do with them over the next eight years. Undoubtedly, one of the factors that really brought us close to ESPN, in addition to the excellence -- they're the best in this field in the U.S. -- we were sure that the synergies of growth of LaLiga and the clubs through the sponsorships will happen in the U.S.

JAMES PITARO: Could I add, from an ESPN perspective, yes, of course we'll be broadcasting these games. But I do want to highlight the fact that from a promotional perspective we're going to be getting behind these games, as I mentioned before in my introduction, from our studio programming, and from a social perspective, and on our digital properties. These will all will be huge promotional engines driving to ESPN+ in these broadcasts but also helping to grow LaLiga in general.

THE MODERATOR: What role would LaLiga have in your content acquisition strategy, retaining subscribers, existing subscribers? Or will it be an engine for new subscribers coming in from the soccer fan base and especially the Hispanic market fan base?

BURKE MAGNUS: I think it's both of those things. Obviously there's a fan base of LaLiga-specific fans in the United States that now have a reason to follow the games to ESPN+ and will become new subscribers if they're not already subscribers. But one of the beauties of this deal is it's season long, it's 380 games in the first division plus extra games in the second division and all the surround programming that Jimmy mentioned. So it spans a huge portion of the year, which will serve as a retention tool as well.

We obviously have a lot of soccer fans already coming to our platform based on the other content that we have. But we're optimistic, very optimistic, obviously, that LaLiga fans will follow the games to our platforms. They'll subscribe and that we'll be able to keep them all year long with the offerings around LaLiga but also around all of our other content as well.

THE MODERATOR: Gerard Piqué, you're a content generator yourself. And you have provided solutions for a sport in particular, which is tennis, in the new creation of the Davis Cup. When you come about thinking of the game and the situation that fútbol faces now in attracting young generations, what do you see that fútbol needs to do to attract those new fans?

GERARD PIQUÉ: Well, I have two kids, one is eight and the other is six years old. And it's true that it's difficult for them to focus on television the whole game -- 90 minute focus on the game.

It's different when I used to be their age. For me the only thing was fútbol. Now they have a lot to offer in terms of different channels where they have a lot of content for them. So I think that it's a process. You cannot change from today to tomorrow, but it's how they watch the game and how they live the game.

I think having more stats, having more information before the game, after the game -- I don't know if it's interviews, if it's different kind of content, that for them it's, I would say, more easy or more interesting to focus 90 minutes. It's not easy.

We are every year changing and as I say they have a lot of offers. So I think that fútbol in general have to adapt so they can consume and they can watch fútbol in another way as we used to do it when we were kids.

This doesn't mean that this is less interesting. I mean, fútbol will always be very, very interesting and I think every year we have more fans. But the way they watch this sport, I think that we're changing the next few years and this is something that in this case, media platforms, et cetera, they have to see what they are interested in and try to change it little by little.

THE MODERATOR: We live in the age of distraction, definitely.

Javier, independent from the size of this new relationship between LaLiga and ESPN, how much does LaLiga think that they can overcome the popularity of the premier league in the United States? Can LaLiga be more popular? And what will happen at the end of the first eight years?

JAVIER TEBAS: Our obsession, so to speak, is not to go beyond the Premier League. Our obsession is to grow. If we achieve that in eight year's time, well, the data that we have today and how we are doing in the U.S. I hope will get better. In Canada, let's not forget. And we'd like to exceed that.

Not too obsessed with the Premier League. We've been a little bit obsessed with the Premier League in the U.S. in recent years and in other parts of the world. But it's not really an obsession of mine. Our obsession is LaLiga -- LaLiga, to make it grow. Our obsession is to work together with ESPN, hand in hand, so that we can offer our fans, their subscribers the best possible product and a different product, which is what we're trying to do.

I think that all subscribers of ESPN will see that our product is different the way we transmit the matches, what we're doing. We're going to try to get young people and the audiences that like us to continue to watch in spite of the fact that the generations change.

It's not an obsession with the Premier League, but this is what we're going to try to do.

THE MODERATOR: Jimmy, Stephen and Gerard Piqué, what do you believe are the characteristics of LaLiga which viewers in the United States will most be attracted to?

STEPHEN ROSS: I think they play soccer at the highest level in the world, and it's so competitive. People really watch sports to see the competition. I think the presentation of LaLiga soccer is as good if not better than anywhere else. So, I think the fans will really enjoy that competition and seeing the very best players.

THE MODERATOR: Gerard, same question to you. What do you think?

GERARD PIQUÉ: I think in Spain our main characteristic is that players have a lot of talent. And obviously there is talent everywhere in all countries. But to compare it, to put a comparison with the Premier League, the fútbol there is much more, I would say, physical – strong players, going box to box, which is different.

Here in Spain is that, as I said, the quality of the players or the talent maybe is a little bit better or is increased during the last years in respect with the other leagues, and this is something that I would say we are very differential and special from the others.

Also the passion of the fans for the competition and for their clubs and maybe the rivalry between clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid obviously makes this very special.

THE MODERATOR: Jimmy?

JAMES PITARO: Again, I would say the passion of the fans and the quality of play and the uniqueness of the players. One thing that we've spent a lot of time talking about internally here at ESPN is how can we help advance the game, advance the league through storytelling and partnering with the league and specifically the players. More behind-the-scenes-type content, going back to Gerard's point before, the fact that kids are consuming, it's not just soccer, it's all sports. They're consuming in different ways today.

The passion is there. It's the same level of passion, it's just they're not necessarily watching the entire game or sitting still for the entire game anymore.

So, what do we do about that? How do we get behind the players to tell their stories to make them more interesting to the younger generation?

So that's something that we're very good at ESPN, quality storytelling. We have every intention of continuing to meet them there and work closely with the league and the players.

THE MODERATOR: Exciting and challenging times in things to come. Stephen, question from Michelle: You're known as a football, American football person. How much of a soccer fan have you become in recent years, and what do you think American sports fans can learn from international soccer fans?

STEPHEN ROSS: Well, I first really learned about soccer after I bought the team and seeing how they sold out a game with Barcelona in Miami, which was a lot easier to sell out than a football game was, believe it or not. That really drew my interest to soccer and seeing how it was expanding in this country and the popularity of it. I think once you get watching it, get more involved in it, you really get drawn by it and seeing what a great sport it is.

We look forward to continue to see the growth of soccer in this country, as well as fútbol, but it's about sports and competition, and that's what people are really looking for today. I really enjoy being involved in both and seeing the great opportunity of all sports growing in this country.

THE MODERATOR: Maybe chants. Maybe we can bring some chants over to the stands at Dolphins games – chants and scarves.

DANIEL SILLMAN: I would just add that to, to Michelle, we're thankful to have your support in 2017, which Gerard is very familiar with. And we're thankful to have such an amazing Clásico event down in Miami, which was the first time ever played in the United States. That magnetic energy just speaks to fan interest, not just in American football down in South Florida, but obviously specifically in European fútbol and Spanish fútbol.

THE MODERATOR: Javier, has this agreement increased the probability like the Clásico to be played in the United States in the future?

JAVIER TEBAS: El Clásico is more difficult to export to the U.S. because it's the match, the most important match in the world between clubs, but it's a bit complicated. It's a bit different. But we might take other matches, official matches. We're looking at that.

I hope and expect that in the not too distant future the U.S. really should have some kind of official match of the Spanish League with some of our big clubs.

The Clásico is difficult. I have to be sincere. But when we achieve it, I think maybe Barcelona some seasons, Madrid other seasons, Clásico Madrid, but we're going to do it. We've tried and we'll continue to do this. After this deal with ESPN, our fans deserve, in the U.S., deserve an official top-level match in the U.S.

THE MODERATOR: Gerard, how do you think LaLiga can keep promoting the competition in the United States? Also, you as a businessman and a player, do you think this agreement will help to promote even more the players and the clubs?

GERARD PIQUÉ: Yes, for sure. Promoting LaLiga in the United States and Canada, it's very important strategically for LaLiga and for all the clubs that we play in the competition, and also for the players.

I mean, at the end of the day we all agree that America is the leader in everything they do and in sports, of course.

So every time that we have more penetration or that more games are live on a channel like ESPN in America, it makes you have a much more higher impact in the country. This makes LaLiga and all the clubs and all the players that we participate more popular; fans know much more about all of them, and this is great news for all of us.

THE MODERATOR: Javier, how did you end your contract with beIN Sports, because it was a very important part for LaLiga in other territories?

JAVIER TEBAS: Yes, obviously, the relation -- we're very thankful for the 10 years that we were with them. We had to change in the U.S. They've collaborated to make this change happen. Extraordinary partners in many parts of the world still.

In the U.S. they will always be associated with us because beIN is part of the history of LaLiga. They've been associated with, in France, in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and we're going to continue to work with them hand in hand as we have done in recent times.

But as I've said before, it was time to take a step forward and be with the best, the excellent players in sport, in the U.S. But we're delighted to have been with them.

THE MODERATOR: Jimmy, where is LaLiga going to be available in Canada? And how can we follow the Spanish competition?

JAMES PITARO: Burke, do you want to take the Canada availability question?

BURKE MAGNUS: Yes. We have acquired rights for Canada in this deal. The details are still being worked through. But it will be on TSN and RDS and their various services up there, but we're going to release more specific detail in the coming weeks.

THE MODERATOR: Jimmy and Burke, LaLiga can only be watched on ESPN+, or will it also be available on cable channels such as ESPN Deportes and terrestrial networks like ABC?

JAMES PITARO: So it's primarily focused on ESPN+, but we will have select games on our linear networks like ESPN and even potentially ABC. On top of that, as I mentioned before, we will also have LaLiga content regularly show up in our studio programming through specific dedicated shows but also, of course, incorporating it into our existing studio programming like SportsCenter.

All 380 games from LaLiga Santander will be made available within ESPN+, but again we will look regularly at opportunities to also broadcast some games on our linear networks ESPN and ABC.

THE MODERATOR: Javier, do you think that this agreement shows that contrary to what the Super League says means that the demand for Spanish fútbol is growing in general; so is this a good agreement for LaLiga Santander, so you know that Spanish fútbol is not just two or three big clubs?

JAVIER TEBAS: No, there's no doubt. I've been saying that for some years now. This shows that the strength of national competitions and LaLiga, in this case, and the Premier League, the Bundesliga, is very strong.

We don't have to create or invent new competitions, because the sport of fútbol has all these interesting events. In the U.S. now, you are interested in LaLiga, and this shows our strength, our position of strength, versus what some of the Super League clubs have said.

THE MODERATOR: Gerard, how is it to practice with Messi every single day?

GERARD PIQUÉ: It's a challenge; it makes you a better player to have to play against him every day. But, yeah, I had the opportunity to train with him since I was 13 when he joined fútbol Barcelona Careme, and it's been a pleasure; the best player of all time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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