Nike Signs On as Presenting Sponsor of FIBA’s 3×3 Tournament

Nike has agreed to become a presenting sponsor of FIBA’s new three-on-three basketball tournament.

The deal was closed this week during the Olympics and includes value-in-kind support. FIBA this year launched the 3×3 World Tour. The tour will eventually go to six cities this year: Sao Paulo (July 14-15); Vladivostok, asthma Russia (July 21-22); N.Y. (Aug. 18-19); Istanbul (Sept. 1-2); Madrid (Sept. 8-9) and Miami (Sept. 22-23).

The early games are qualifiers for the final in Miami, asthma where teams in various age groups will have a chance to win up to $12,000. Nike joins Samsung as the second sponsor of the tour.

FIBA President Patrick Baumann said that the federation’s ultimate goal is to see three-on-three added to the Olympics as a separate basketball discipline. The federation sees it as a discipline that could appeal to youth and a broader demographic, much in the same way beach volleyball did after it joined the Olympics through the volleyball federation.

“Nike wants the base of basketball to grow so they can sell their clothing, and we want that growth to be real so that these players play basketball,” Baumann said. “Three-on-three, for us, is going to be the next wave of generating interest in the game.”