As Fila and Adidas sign more NBA players to endorsement
contracts, NBA Properties President Rick Welts said the NBA will
not sign any new sneaker/apparel licensees until the league's
current TV contract with Turner and NBC is up in two-and-a-half
seasons, according to BRANDWEEK. NBA Properties initially
granted Nike and Reebok use of league marks in exchange for their
support of league broadcasts. Welts: "There really is no TV
inventory for them. Internationally, there are opportunities,
but domestically we've put up pretty high end barriers." Terry
Lefton also writes, "One might also note that Nike has yet to
sign an NBA apparel license." ... In other league news, Lefton
notes NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "hopes to take another play
from his old NBA playbook, by targeting Japan." The NHL has
preliminary plans for a regular-season tourney in Japan at the
start of the '97-98 season. Lefton says to look for the Mighty
Ducks to be involved. Ducks wing Paul Kariya is part-Japanese
and the team has a following in Japan because of its Disney tie
and its products (BRANDWEEK, 2/12 issue).
