The National Basketball Association announced a new event for fans this summer, headlined by hall of famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
(Bloomberg) — The National Basketball Association announced a new event for fans this summer, headlined by hall of famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson.
The league will partner with trade-show giant Emerald Holding Inc. to host NBA Con, which will occur on July 7 to 9 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay resort. It will be held in tandem with Summer League — an annual tournament for NBA prospects and younger players.
The idea is to give fans “an opportunity to engage with us,” said Joey Graziano, the NBA’s head of global event strategy and development, in an interview. Going forward, he said the league aims to connect the annual event to “our international games and other marquee tentpole events.”
The event will feature live entertainment from artists, exclusive apparel releases, podcasts and other experiences for fans such as meet-and-greet sessions and virtual reality games. Adult prices will start at $60.
NBA Con marks an expansion of the type of events the league hosts during its All-Star Weekend such as its tech summit, which covers sports, media and technology, and NBA Crossover, which also offers experiences for fans. The new event will be held with nearly double the floor space of the Crossover event.
Graziano said the league has an eye on one day expanding NBA Con abroad. The league is looking to international markets to expand its fanbase, recently opening retail stores in cities such as Paris, Berlin and Johannesburg.
–With assistance from Rick Schine.
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