NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Kumho Tire, one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers, today announced a multiyear extension of their marketing partnership in the U.S., Canada and Korea.  The relationship began in 2014 when Kumho Tire became the first ever tire partner of the NBA and NBA Development League (NBA D-League).

To help extend Kumho Tire’s association with the NBA, the brand will introduce the first-ever ‘Handles’ platform, which aligns on-court ball handling to the critical role Kumho tires play off the court.  Debuting at the beginning of the 2016-17 season, the platform will drive Kumho Tire’s seasonlong digital and social fan programming.

Kumho Tire will continue to serve as the presenting partner of the NBA D-League All-Star Game, with the brand prominently featured on jerseys, on the court and through courtside signage.  Kumho Tire will also have brand presence at the NBA All-Star Game.

“Our partnership with Kumho Tire has been deeply integrated into the NBA and NBA D-League since we tipped things off at NBA All-Star just a few successful seasons ago,” said Kerry Tatlock, NBA Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships.  “Our extended partnership gives us even more opportunity to collaborate on fan experiences and offerings, and to tell great stories together through an all-new digital series.”

Harry Choi, President and CEO of Kumho Tire USA said, “The partnership with the NBA, the top professional basketball league, will help further boost our brand recognition and name value as a global tire maker not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world.”

The expanded partnership also includes increased promotional efforts, which provide customers and dealers access to unique experiences throughout the season, including at marquee NBA and NBA D-League events.

About Kumho Tire
Founded in 1960, Kumho Tire has more than 50 years of history steeped in innovation in management, technical development and environmental awareness that has positioned the Company as one of the world’s top 10 tire manufacturers. Distributed in 160 countries, Kumho is dedicated to providing a top quality driving experience to consumers throughout the world. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Kumho Tire USA is the U.S. sales, marketing, product development and distribution arm of Kumho Tire Co. Inc. For more information on Kumho Tire USA, Inc. and its products, please visit www.KumhoTireUSA.com. Follow Kumho on Facebook.com/KumhoTire and on Twitter @KumhoTireUSA.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2015-16 season featured 100 international players from 37 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com and the NBA app, which achieved record viewership and traffic during the 2015-16 season.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than one 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.