GOLFCHANNEL.com's Randall Mell reported three Chinese LPGA players are "unlikely to play" the Lotte Championship set for April 12-15 in Hawaii with "political tensions between China and South Korea brewing over American plans to build a missile defense system on property the Lotte corporation provided in South Korea." A source said that the tensions are "definitely a factor" for the players (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 3/30).
WE ARE FAMILY: YAHOO SPORTS' Nick DePaula noted Nets G Jeremy Lin "dove into the products" Adidas offered when he was added as an endorser and "looked to add his own spin with custom colors, textures and his 'JL7' logo." As the two sides grew more familiar, Lin began to "bring even more ideas for his game shoes." Beyond just incorporating the clean white and black tones of the Nets’ uniform, he also "wanted to highlight a deeper story this season, one with a specific theme he had in mind." With that in mind, Adidas "began to work on a personalized edition of their new Crazylight Boost model" that features inscriptions of Lin's parents, brothers and sister-in-law's names (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 3/29).
PHONE HOME: LG Canada's latest smartphone, the LG G6, will be the official phone of the Maple Leafs and Raptors. This is an extension of an ongoing Platinum Level partnership with MLSE. Raptors G Cory Joseph will be featured in LG G6 marketing activities, ranging from personal appearances to advertising and PR (LG).
ULTIMATE FAN: Bill Murray and his five brothers launched William Murray Golf last year, and as an homage to the Cubs, the Murrays' apparel line had an exclusive Cubs-themed polo. After a limited-edition Cubs polo sold out right after going on sale, the company on Thursday decided to bring it back. The shirt is now available on williammurraygolf.com (THE DAILY).
