England Basketball and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have reached an agreement that will allow England Basketball Enterprises, the merchandising division of England Basketball, to sell NBA and WNBA branded uniforms to basketball clubs and schools throughout the United Kingdom.

England Basketball Enterprises will manufacture, supply and sell NBA and WNBA merchandise including branded team jerseys and shorts, shooting shirts and reversible training uniforms through their mail-order catalogue.

The groundbreaking agreement marks the first-ever commercial marketing partnership between the NBA and a basketball Federation in Europe.

‘We are very excited to be working so closely with England Basketball, a Federation which is very active in growing basketball at the grassroots level in the United Kingdom’, said Phil Hayes-Brown, Managing Director of NBA London. ‘There are 2.1 million 10-17 year-olds playing basketball in the United Kingdom and our partnership with England Basketball provides us with a strong distribution network to reach our target audience’.

The men’s Plymouth Raiders and the Sheffield Hatters, the 1999-2000 Women’s National Champions of the National Basketball League’s (NBL) First Division, will use NBA and WNBA branded products for the 2000-2001 NBL season.

‘We are delighted to welcome the NBA as a partner in this exciting new venture’, said England Basketball Chief Executive, Simon Kirkland. ‘Our goal is to become the pre-eminent retailer of basketball product to the grassroots of the sport in the United Kingdom, and having the NBA as an exclusive partner in this category is a major step in that process’.

The NBA and WNBA products are available immediately to basketball teams and schools throughout the United Kingdom and can be purchased through the England Basketball Enterprises’ catalogue or by calling 01664 568502.

For details contact Emily Clarke at England Basketball on 0113 290 0811.