NEW YORK – NBA FIT Live Healthy Week presented by Kaiser Permanente tipped off yesterday with a special focus on highlighting the importance of healthy living through three simple pillars: be active, eat healthy and play together.  Through Jan. 29, NBA FIT Team members will help encourage fans to live a healthy lifestyle via fitness events and social media.

The 2015 NBA FIT Team includes Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic), Tim Hardaway, Jr. (New York Knicks), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn Nets), Miles Plumlee (Phoenix Suns), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets) and WNBA players Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever) and Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty).  On Jan. 26, NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Gary Payton will return to his hometown of Oakland, Calif. to engage local youth in basketball drills and a discussion on healthy living with Curry, the Warriors and Kaiser Permanente at a Get Fit clinic.  Similar events will take place throughout NBA markets during the week.

The league will also work with Kaiser Permanente, the NBA’s first-ever healthcare partner, to launch the #NBAFIT Pledge Tracker to empower fans of all ages to live healthier lives.  By using #NBAFIT and @NBACares on social media, fans can share tips through a digital photo mosaic on NBAFIT.com.

In September, the NBA announced a goal to reach 500,000 New York City youth through fun, fitness-related basketball activities as part of its NBA All-Star community efforts.  After a tremendous response from schools and community-based organizations, the NBA is proud to double its goal and engage more than one million children across the city’s five boroughs through NBA FIT programming.

In an effort to encourage healthy eating, the league will continue to team up with Walmart on NBA FIT Food, featuring oranges with NBA FIT-branded stickers and bags that are now on display at more than 3,600 Walmart stores across the United States.

NBA Development League FIT Live Healthy Week presented by Kaiser Permanente also takes place through Jan. 29.  NBA and NBA D-League players will wear special oncourt attire throughout the week, including new red adidas NBA FIT shooting shirts.  The shirts are available at NBAStore.com and the NBA Store Fifth Avenue in New York City.

For more information on NBA FIT Live Healthy Week presented by Kaiser Permanente, visit www.NBAFIT.com.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9.5 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.