NBA All-Star Dwight Howard to tip off NBA JAM

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that NBA Jam, the league’s traveling interactive fan event, will return to India for the second consecutive year and bring the excitement of the NBA to fans in India. Last year’s inaugural NBA Jam was the league’s first fan event in India and it attracted more than 200,000 visitors.

Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard will be in Delhi at the Ambience Mall on Aug. 13 and 14 to tip off the three-city, five-week tour which will travel to five malls across Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. NBA Jam is part of the NBA’s continued efforts to increase the reach of the NBA and develop basketball into the number two sport in India.

“NBA Jam is the best way to experience all the excitement of an NBA game without setting foot in an arena,” said Howard. “I am excited to meet the fans in India and share the energy I experience every time I step on the court for a game.”

Tip-off weekend will feature clinics led by Howard as well as on-court contests and dance team performances. At NBA Jam, fans are transported to the floor of an NBA arena on Center Court, which will host exciting skill competitions such as the HP Free Throw Contest, Planet Sports Speed Shooting, and the adidas Shootout. Fans can also test their basketball knowledge during NBA trivia games. Off the court, fans can measure their height, wingspan and foot size to see how they compare to NBA stars.

Hewlett Packard (HP) will create the HP Zone featuring the “HP Avatar” experience which allows fans to create an NBA themed digital version of themselves using HP touch technology and print it out wirelessly on an HP PhotoSmart Premium Web Printer.

Planet Sports, an Official Partner of NBA Jam, will set up the Planet Sports NBA Jam Shop, showcasing the latest NBA apparel and footwear as well as other sports and lifestyle products. Associate partner adidas is the Official Apparel Supplier of NBA Jam and will provide event prizes. Basketballs for all NBA Jam competitions will be provided by Spalding, the Official Basketball of the NBA.

“Planet Sports association with NBA Jam is yet another remarkable step towards improving the standard of basketball in India,” said Mr. Ravdeep Singh, CEO, Planet Sports. “This event also proves our complete commitment to help lift the overall standards of sports in India and bring to the country cutting-edge sports solutions. Planet Sports and the NBA will share the excitement of world-class basketball with the Indian audience.”

The NBA Jam schedule includes stops in the National Capital Region at the Ambience Mall from Aug. 13 – 15, Delhi at DLF Place from Aug. 20 – 22, Chennai at Citi Centre from Aug. 27 – 29, and Mumbai at the Inorbit Mall from Sept. 3 – 5 and Phoenix Mills from Sept. 10 – 12. The Chennai stop marks the first-ever NBA Jam stop in the city.