Sara Lee Champion Europe and NBAP have signed a
multiyear agreement for a licensed merchandise, marketing
and basketball development program for Western, Central and
Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East. Champion will
hold the exclusive NBA license for a range of authentic and
replica apparel products for all NBA teams and be a non-
exclusive licensee for activewear, headwear, outerwear and
sports bags. Champion and the NBA will also join on grass-
roots development programs and interactive events (NBA).
IN THE CARDS: TX-based Pinnacle Brands, Inc. has signed
a multiyear deal with the WNBA to be the league's exclusive
trading card licensee (WNBA)....ESPN's WNBA promo campaign,
"The WNBA: What's Not To Love?," debuts today and features
Lisa Leslie and Jamila Wideman of the Sparks and Ruthie
Bolton-Holifield of the Monarchs. The spots were created by
Wieden & Kennedy and produced by Radical Production (ESPN).
LADY LIBERTY: Reebok's 60-second TV spot featuring the
Liberty's Rebecca Lobo airs tonight on NBC's coverage of
Game Six of the NBA Finals. It is titled "Big City Lobo,"
and as images of the New York skyline flash by, Lobo says:
"When I was a little girl, I had a dream to play basketball.
Luckily, I had a mom who told me, 'You can do whatever you
want. It doesn't matter that you're a girl.'" Later, Lobo
adds, ""We're showing girls they can do whatever they want."
The ads "seek to show that glamour and athletic excellence
can gracefully mix" (Chris Reidy, BOSTON GLOBE, 6/13).
