TOKYO – The NBA Japan Games 2019 Presented by Rakuten featuring the 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets will be supported by eight partners: Rakuten, 2K, Genesis Health Care, MGM Resorts, Nike, SAP, Saitama Super Arena and Tissot.

The Raptors and Rockets will play Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at Saitama Super Arena, marking the NBA’s 13^th and 14^th games in Japan.

In addition to the two games, the first NBA Fan Night in Japan will be held Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Saitama Super Arena.  NBA Fan Night Presented by Rakuten will celebrate the game of basketball and showcase the convergence of the NBA and popular culture through a unique fan experience featuring NBA Legends Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion and Dikembe Mutombo, players from the Raptors and the Rockets, and appearances by local celebrities.  NBA Fan Night Presented by Rakuten will also include performances from the Raptors’ and Rockets’ interactive teams and mascots, as well as fan promotions and giveaways.

The NBA Japan Games and NBA Fan Night will be livestreamed for free on Rakuten TV.  The NBA Japan Games will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital and social media.

NBA merchandise is available on NBAStore.jp, the official online NBA store in Japan.

Activation highlights include:

Rakuten

• As the presenting partner of The NBA Japan Games 2019 and NBA Fan Night, Rakuten will present the Halftime and Dance Cam during both games and will present the 3-Point Competition during NBA Fan Night.
• Rakuten will host a free NBA Japan Games 2019 viewing party at the Shibuya Stream Hall on Oct. 8, which will be supported by Nike, and a second viewing party for fans at the Stellar Ball at Shinagawa Prince Hotel on Oct. 10.

MGM Resorts

• MGM Resorts will present the Shooting Stars Competition during NBA Fan Night, where participants will compete to sink shots from four locations on the court to win a select prize.
• MGM will also partner to host the NBA Cares Military Kit Packing Project featuring NBA legends and active military members stationed in Japan.  Participants will pack kits for soldiers stationed in the region as well as for local youth living in orphanages around the country.

Nike

• Nike launched an online promotion to provide its customers with the opportunity to win tickets to The NBA Japan Games and NBA Fan Night.
• As part of NBA Fan Night, Nike will present the skills challenge, where participants will compete in a series of dribbling, passing and scoring drills for a chance to win select Nike merchandise.
• Nike will present the “Dress & Dribble” challenge during both games where young participants will race head-to-head from one end of the court to the other while stopping at various points to dress in oversized jersey, sneakers and shoes.

Tissot

• The NBA’s official watch and timekeeper will host a meet-and-greet for fans with NBA Legends Dikembe Mutombo and Shawn Marion at the Tissot Daikanyama Concept Store on Oct. 9.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2018-19 season featured 108 international players from 42 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.6 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.