NBA D-League Team Signs Sponsorship Deal With Mexican State

The NBA D-League Texas Legends have signed a presenting level sponsorship deal with the state of Veracruz, Mexico, that puts the “Veracruz Incomparable” tourism slogan on the front of the team’s jersey. Terms of the Veracruz deal were not disclosed, but the deal also includes a media buy and signage in the Legends' Dr Pepper Arena. The Legends franchise, located in Frisco, Texas, already has a jersey deal in place with the Choctaw Casino. That company’s name will be moved to the back of the jersey to accommodate the deal with Veracruz (John Lombardo, SportsBusiness Journal). ESPN's Darren Rovell noted Veracruz will be the "first state to have its name on the jerseys of a team that doesn't play in that town." Veracruz is around 1,200 miles from Frisco, but the region "thinks it has something to sell, mainly the port city of Veracruz, its hub for tourism" (ESPN, 12/11).