Adidas to Outfit Big3 Basketball League
Adidas has signed a three-year deal with Big3, a half-court three-on-three basketball league founded by actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, to be its official outfitter. The partnership will begin at the Big3 Combine on April 11 in Los Angeles where Adidas will be the presenting partner.
“The Adidas culture is one imbued with innovation and marked by excellence,” Kwatinetz said. “They are a brand that pushes creative boundaries and have consistently redefined their industry. It is because of these shared ideals that Big3 is proud to name Adidas the league’s official apparel sponsor. We look forward to embarking on this partnership with the world’s best sports culture brand.”
Mark King, president of Adidas North America, said Ice Cube “has that same creator mind-set we have at Adidas. He’s challenged the status quo to do extraordinary things throughout his career. No other league blends sport and culture the way Big does. We’re incredibly excited to partner with Ice Cube, Clyde and Jeff and help build on the league’s vision to make the Big3 a global brand.”
Under the terms of the deal, Adidas will provide all players with Big3 jerseys and the league and the company will work together to develop new lines of licensed products for fans that will include hoodies, T-shirts, uniforms and other products. They will also collaborate on player development and grassroots efforts to introduce the game to local markets around the U.S.
Three-on-three is the world’s most popular form of basketball and will be added to the Olympic Games in 2020. Big3 has eight teams and played in 10 U.S. cities in its inaugural season in 2017.
“At its core, the Big3 is about innovation. It’s about taking the purest form of basketball, three-on-three, and finding new ways to engage and excite both fans and players,” said Big3 commissioner Clyde Drexler. “Adidas has long been at the nexus of sport and innovation, making them the perfect creative partners in our work to propel the game of three-on-three basketball on a global stage. Together, we will continue to redefine what professional basketball looks like.”
Adidas had formerly outfitted the NBA but that deal ended with the 2016-17 season and the players are now dressed by Nike.
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