NBA All-Star Notes: Wade Hosting Sponsor Summit In Las Vegas

Wade To Host Sponsor Summit In Las Vegas

Heat G Dwyane Wade will host the Brand Wade Summit in Las Vegas tomorrow, which will be attended by companies he endorses, including T-Mobile, Gatorade, Lincoln, Topps, Staples and Marquis Jet, and others “that may want to soon start working with” him. Wade will “thank those he is already working with and ... hear ideas on what might come next.” T-Mobile on Monday took the wraps off a new Wade-designed phone; Converse today is unveiling his new athletic apparel line, its first around an athlete; Staples today will announce a charitable initiative involving Wade; Gatorade tomorrow will launch its first solo TV spot around Wade, “Good Wade, Bad Wade”; and Saturday “brings more events with T-Mobile and Topps” (AP, 2/15).

COMMERCIAL EYES: Wizards G Gilbert Arenas is profiled by TIME’s Sean Gregory, who writes he has a “dream of a post-playing career in advertising.” He also has “strange ideas for commercials” for adidas, which he endorses. Arenas: “NBA players are so scared of being viewed in a certain way that they can’t be who they want to be” (TIME, 2/19 issue).

ADIDAS EFFORTS: The Statue of Liberty replica at New York, New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has been outfitted in adidas’ Eastern Conference All-Star jersey and the MGM Grand’s lion is wearing the Western Conference jersey. adidas is also providing the All-Star Mobile Experience, which text messages mobile phone users updates on adidas Store events, athlete appearances and limited edition shoe releases. adidas also has a Sport Performance Store at the NBA Jam Session, which has a variety of Vegas-inspired shoes featuring its All-Stars (adidas).

FINE CHINA: The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel will be the presenting sponsor of the All-Star Game telecast on China Central TV. The Venetian in Las Vegas and the NBA will co-host CCTV’s 20th anniversary gala on Saturday night, which will be attended by NBA Commissioner David Stern and CCTV Chief Controller of Sports Jiang Heping (Las Vegas Sands).