NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today a multiplatform program, “Dream BIG,” celebrating the legacy of African-Americans. “Dream BIG” will tip off on Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day and run through Black History Month in February.

The new campaign was developed in conjunction with GlobalHue, a leading U.S. full-service agency with multicultural expertise. The various program elements will reach a broad African-American audience through a series of event activations, educational programs and targeted media partnerships.

“Dream BIG” will debut on MLK Day on Monday, Jan. 20, with a spot featuring the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh that will air during four nationally televised games on ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV. The inspirational ad, along with original content and interviews with stars like the Indiana Pacers’ Roy Hibbert, will run across broadcast and digital platforms through the end of February. Additionally, all 20 teams playing on MLK Day will wear “Dream BIG” shooting shirts during warm-ups. The shirts will be available at the NBA Store Fifth Avenue in New York City.

The full slate of nationally televised games will tip off with an intra-city matchup on ESPN between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets at 2:30 p.m. ET. TNT will feature an evening doubleheader beginning with the Portland Trailblazers visiting the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the Pacers on the road against the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. ET. On NBA TV, the New Orleans Pelicans visit the Memphis Grizzlies and the home of the National Civil Rights Museum at 5 p.m. ET. Additionally, NBA Legend and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Bill Russell will join SiriusXM host and noted NAACP activist Mark Thompson for an hour-long Dr. King show, titled Remembering the Dream, honoring his life and legacy at 12 p.m. ET on SiriusXM NBA Radio, channel 217.

The campaign will continue into Black History Month when the league unveils a special commemorative shooting shirt, honoring four prominent African-Americans: Dr. King, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman and Bill Russell. The league collaborated on the shirt design with Miami Heat veteran Ray Allen. Players from all 30 teams will wear the limited-edition shooting shirts for select games during the month of February.

“The ‘Dream BIG’ campaign honors African-Americans for their countless contributions that have opened doors for people around the world,” said Saskia Sorrosa, NBA Vice President, Multicultural / Targeted Marketing. “With the NBA’s young and diverse fanbase, we felt it was important to create a program that would engage kids by educating them about black history to positively impact the future.”

In an effort to educate children on the rich history of African-Americans, the NBA is teaming up with EverFi, a leading education technology company, to create a digital curriculum that explores the remarkable contributions by African-Americans. The educational curriculum will launch in 30 schools across all NBA team markets during Black History Month.

As part of NBA All-Star Jam Session 2014 in New Orleans, fans can visit the interactive “Dream BIG” station, which will feature a basketball history display from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, live performances, player appearances, and a pop-up barbershop offering free shaves and haircuts from local celebrity barbers. NBA All-Star Jam Session 2014 is the premier fan event at NBA All-Star, where fans can shoot, slam, dribble and drive against their friends in skills challenges, and collect free autographs from NBA players and legends.

About GlobalHue
GlobalHue is a full-service marketing communications agency with total market and cultural expertise. For decades, GlobalHue has been acknowledged for its multicultural expertise and was recognized as the “Multicultural Advertising Agency of the Decade” by Adweek. The agency boasts several blue-chip clients, including Chrysler Group LLC, Walmart, and U.S. Navy. For more information, go to www.globalhue.com. Visit GlobalHue on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GlobalHue. Follow GlobalHue on Twitter at @GlobalHue.

About EveriFi
EverFi Inc. is the leading education technology company focused on teaching, assessing, and certifying K-12 and college students in the critical skills they need for life. The company teams with major corporations and foundations to provide the programs at no cost to K-12 schools. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EverFi investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Rethink Education, New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA), and Tomorrow Ventures (the investment arm of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt). Learn more at www.everfi.com