TOKYO – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record 13 marketing partners will support The NBA Japan Games 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan, which will feature the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards playing two preseason games on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. JST and Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. JST at Saitama Super Arena, marking the league’s 15^th and 16^th games in the country.  The 13 marketing partners are the most-ever for an NBA game in Japan and include Rakuten, Nissan, 2K, American Express, Hennessy, Hokka, Instyle Group, NEC, Nike, SAP, ServiceNow, Sun Chlorella, and Tissot.

In addition to the two games, the league will also host NBA Japan Games Saturday Night 2022 Presented by Rakuten & Nissan on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. JST at Saitama Super Arena.  The event will celebrate the game of basketball and showcase the convergence of the NBA and popular culture for a unique fan experience featuring appearances by Warriors and Wizards players, NBA legends and special celebrity guests, a slam dunk contest featuring professional dunkers, a “Shooting Stars” challenge, a three-point contest featuring players from the Warriors and Wizards, a musical performance by Japanese rock duo Yuzu, and more.

The games and NBA Saturday Night will be available on NBA Rakuten and livestreamed for free on the NBA Rakuten YouTube channel and Rakuten TV, and 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.

Highlights of partner activations for The NBA Japan Games 2022 and NBA Saturday Night include:

Rakuten

• Building on their experience serving as Presenting Partner of the games in 2019, Rakuten will serve as Co-presenting Partner of the games and NBA Saturday Night this year.  Rakuten will also receive in-arena and on-court branding and will host a variety of activations and fan activities during the games and NBA Saturday Night.

Nissan

• As Co-presenting Partner of the games and NBA Saturday Night, Nissan will receive in-arena and on-court branding, and will leverage its innovation to host a variety of fan activities to add excitement to the week’s events.

• Nissan will also conduct a range of campaigns, including ticket giveaways and sweepstakes, giving fans the opportunity to serve as a court sweeper at the NBA Japan Games.

2K

• 2K, a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) and publisher of the leading global basketball video game NBA 2K, will host a booth at Saitama Super Arena where fans can play the recently released NBA 2K23 video game on a PlayStation®5 (PS5™) console.  An NBA legend will make an appearance at the booth and interact with fans at The NBA Japan Games 2022.

• 2K will also host a contest on the 2K Japan Twitter account that will award six winners with a pair of tickets to attend The NBA Japan Games 2022.

American Express

• As an Official Partner of The NBA Japan Games 2022 and NBA Saturday Night, American Express will offer its cardholders a 15% discount at NBA Japan Games merchandise booths at Saitama Super Arena throughout the games and NBA Saturday Night.

Hennessy

• As the Official Spirit of the NBA, Hennessy, which staged iconic court activations across the Asia-Pacific region during the 2021-22 season, will offer cocktails at their booth on the concourse of Saitama Super Arena throughout the games and NBA Saturday Night.

• During the NBA Japan Games 2022 Welcome Reception Presented by NEC, Hennessy will serve an assortment of NBA-themed cocktails throughout the event.  Additionally, Hennessy will host “The Hennessy x NBA Afterparty” on Friday, Sept. 30, which will be an invitation only event.

NEC

• As the Official Biometrics Partner of The NBA Japan Games 2022, NEC will provide a hands-free, speedy and secure payment system using its latest multimodal face and iris recognition technology at the games and NBA Saturday Night.  Fans can register in advance through a link that will be published on the event website to experience the convenience on-site.

• NEC will also serve as the Presenting Partner of The NBA Japan Games 2022 Welcome Reception, where it will present its latest technology to invited guests in attendance.

Nike

• As the Official Outfitter of the NBA, Nike will offer select merchandise from the Warriors and Wizards at NBA Japan Games merchandise booths at Saitama Super Arena, Nike.com and select retail partners.

Sun Chlorella

• Celebrating its 53rd anniversary this year, Sun Chlorella, a health food company dedicated to working alongside athletes to help them achieve excellence, will hold a promotion to provide its customers with the opportunity to win tickets to the NBA Japan Games 2022.  Additional details about the promotion will be announced at a later date.

Tissot

• As the Official Timekeeper of the NBA, Tissot will provide fans the opportunity to participate in a shooting contest at their booth in Saitama Super Arena for a chance to win special prizes.

• On Saturday, Oct. 1, four-time NBA champion and Tissot brand ambassador Klay Thompson will participate in a fan meet-and-greet at Tissot’s newest concept store in Ginza, Tokyo.