NYSportsJournalism.com - Basketball Readies To Celebrate Global Go Hoop Day
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 21 (Barclays Center, Brooklyn) and the NBA Awards Show is scheduled for June 25 (Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.).
In-between, basketball has now created a self-appreciation event: Go Hoop Day, being called basketball’s first global holiday and intended to be a worldwide celebration of the game.
(Moving forward, Go Hoop Day, is scheduled to take place annually on the fourth Saturday of every June.)
The event was launched by Justin Leonard, head of Game Seven Marketing along with Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets.
Spalding has signed on as Go Hoop Day’s official ball.
Other partners are expected to join.
A multi-media campaign to share the word about Go Hoop Day comes with the tag line: “Ball together on June 23 — basketball’s global holiday.”
“Go Hoop Day is a ball player's dream — a chance to say thank you to the game that has given us all so much,” Leonard said in a statement.
“Basketball is the greatest and most dynamic game on the planet. Hundreds of millions of people across the globe play it and enjoy it on a daily basis, but it was missing that one special and unifying moment to come together and celebrate it.”
Members of the Go Hoop Day founding member committee include: Paul George (Oklahoma City Thunder), Brian Hartley (New York Liberty), Emmanuel Mudiay (New York Knicks), Cappie Pondexter (Chicago Sky), Jalen Rose (ABC/ESPN analyst and 13-year NBA veteran) and Evan Turner (Portland Trail Blazers).
Supporting basketball organizations include Dyckman Basketball (New York), AEBL (Atlanta), The Chosen League (Philadelphia), MADE Hoops, Stay Ready Sports and The Drew League under the auspices of Nike.
The day will consist of local activities, grassroots events and digital initiatives meant to inspire and engage those who love the game.
Current and former players will be part of the Go Hoop Day Founding Member Committee and unlock gyms and courts that were integral to their basketball journey. These locations will provide local ballplayers free access to participate in open runs, clinics, and games on Go Hoop Day.
Spalding will distribute thousands of basketballs at gyms and courts across the country.
A Go Hoop Day hotline will provide people with a greeting from a player when they call in and then prompt them to leave a message about why they love basketball. The best stories and anecdotes will be shared through social media.
Paul will unlock five gyms in North Carolina that “played a pivotal role on his road to the NBA": The Carl Russell Recreation Center, Central YMCA, West Forsyth High School, Wake Forest (Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum) and the CP3 Basketball Academy.
Each of these gyms will be free and open to the public on Go Hoop Day.
In addition, Paul will host a special game in Houston for Team CP3, his team on the Nike EYBL Circuit.
According to Kenyatta Bynoe, vp-global marketing and partnerships fort Spalding, “As the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, we could not think of any day more special than Go Hoop Day.
“We are thrilled to join our brand ambassador Chris Paul in support of a movement that celebrates the game that has been an integral part of our DNA for more than a century."
