TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS
| December 12, 2018
 |
| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Sports/Vivo Philippines) |
In
a unprecedented momentous event held last December 6, 2018 at the Harbor Garden
Tent inside the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City and attended by media
and sports personalities, Vivo announced that it has forged a multiyear
partnership deal with the National Basketball Association (NBA) which makes the
brand the official smartphone of the league in the Philippines. It was announced
by no less than Vivo Philippines Chief Executive Officer Ted Xiong and NBA
Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson.
Through
the newly-sealed partnership, Vivo will be the presenting partner of the NBA Playoffs
Brackets Challenge where participants can submit their own predictions for next
year's NBA playoffs. As the official partner of Jr. NBA in the country as well
as NBA 3X Philippines, Vivo will also be leveraging the league's youth
platforms in conducting interactive fan activities while showcasing its
portfolio of mobile devices available. Furthermore, Vivo will also be included
into content for the league on its official Facebook page.
Jr.
NBA, the global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, aims
to teach the fundamentals and core basics of the game in efforts to enhance the
youth's basketball experience. Since its inception in 2007, the program has
reached out to more than 1.7 million players, parents and coaches nationwide. Meanwhile,
NBA 3X has also been running in the Philippines since 2011 which is a 3-on-3
contest that involve teams of boys and girls with authentic NBA fans.
The
official launch of the Vivo-NBA partnership in the Philippines was eventually
graced by seven-time NBA All-Star and NBA Champion Alonzo Mourning which was
tapped as the deal's first ambassador. Mourning was selected 2nd overall by the
Charlotte Hornets in the 1992 NBA Draft and a member of the NBA All-Rookie
First Team in 1993. Scoring an NBA championship for the Miami Heat, Mourning
played for fifteen seasons in the league with a career average of 17.1 points,
8.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He was also a two-time Defensive Player of the
Year awardee and received 2 All-NBA and All-Defensive Team selections. In 2014,
he was officially inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
