NEW YORK – The NBA and Mountain Dew today announced Dew NBA 3X, the league’s first-ever nationwide elite 3×3 basketball competition tour that will make stops in six NBA markets between May and October with winning teams qualifying for the 2017 USA Basketball 3×3 Tournament.

The invite-only competition will tip off Saturday, May 21 in Atlanta and culminate on Sunday, Oct. 23 in Los Angeles with the Dew NBA 3X National Finals.  The program will also visit basketball fans in Miami, Dallas, Chicago, and Houston.

Dew NBA 3X Ambassador and Hall of Famer Gary Payton, along with local NBA players and legends, will be on hand to interact with fans as they participate in exciting skills contests and other fan-friendly entertainment that celebrates basketball culture.  In addition to the games, Dew NBA 3X will feature appearances by celebrities, Dew athletes, team and local talent, art installations, celebrity DJs, food trucks, and much more.

During each Dew NBA 3X stop, more than 30 preselected men’s and women’s teams will participate in the 3×3 competition.  Each two-day event will begin with pool play, followed by a single-elimination playoff bracket, resulting in city champions.  The winning teams in each city will qualify for the championship event of the tour in Los Angeles.

Dew NBA 3X tour dates include:

• May 21-22, Atlanta (THE GULCH)
• June 25-26, Miami (National YoungArts Foundation)
• July 30-31, Dallas (THE BOMB FACTORY)
• Aug.13-14, Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
• Sept. 17-18, Houston (TBC)
• Oct. 22-23, Los Angeles (The Barker Hanger)

3X Champions Qualify for U.S. and International Competitions:

The winning men’s and women’s teams from this year’s Dew NBA 3X Finals will qualify for the 2017 USA Basketball 3×3 National Tournament.  Additionally, the winning teams from the tip-off event in Atlanta will qualify for the 2016 USA Basketball 3×3 National Tournament this August in Colorado.

The winning Dew NBA 3X men’s team will also qualify for the 2016 FIBA 3×3 All Stars this November in Qatar and a 2017 FIBA World Tour event.

Mountain Dew Courtside Collection:

At every Dew NBA 3X tour stop, Mountain Dew will create a pop-up gallery showcasing basketball and youth culture-themed artwork submitted by local artists and fans.  Dew is selecting relevant artists in each city to curate the gallery and also contribute their own live art, making each experience unique. Attendees will be able to take home limited-edition prints and vote for their favorites on-site.  Fans can submit their artwork to be featured using the hashtag #CourtsideCollection on Instagram.

Executive and Legend Quotes:

“The upcoming tour is sure to attract impressive talent from across the country,” said NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeweghe.  “The 3X program allows us to continue growing the game of basketball by introducing fans to quality amateur play that will set the new standard for 3×3 competition.”

“Through our multiyear partnership with the NBA, we continue to bring one-of-a-kind experiences to Dew Nation that celebrate the game and lifestyle of basketball,” said Mountain Dew Senior Vice President of Marketing Greg Lyons.  “At Dew NBA 3X, we are hosting talented players on the court and bringing the game off the court through onsite activities that combine the love of basketball, art and music, including an art gallery series designed and curated by local artists.”

“Dew NBA 3X is all about introducing fans to the competitive spirit of the game and providing dedicated players the chance to fulfill their own hoop dreams,” Hall of Famer Gary Payton said.  “This platform is a great way to experience the passion and values behind basketball, while enjoying some outstanding NBA and Dew entertainment.”

In 2015, PepsiCo and the NBA announced a multiyear marketing partnership to unite the passionate fans of the NBA with the power of PepsiCo’s food and beverage brands, including Mountain Dew.  Mountain Dew serves as the lead brand in North America for the partnership, joining longtime PepsiCo brand Gatorade, which has been an NBA partner since 1984.

For more information on the nationwide Dew NBA 3X program and to learn about the events in each market, please visit DewNBA3X.com.  Fans can follow @DewNBA3X on Instagram and Twitter for updates and unique content.

About Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, a product of PepsiCo Americas Beverages, is the No. 1 flavored carbonated soft drink in the U.S. With its one-of-a-kind citrus taste, Mountain Dew exhilarates and quenches with every sip. In addition to original Mountain Dew^® and Diet Mountain Dew^®, the permanent Dew product line includes Mountain Dew Code Red^®, Mountain Dew LiveWire^®, Mountain Dew Throwback^®, Mountain Dew Voltage^® and Mountain Dew White Out^®. For more information, check out www.mountainDew.com, www.facebook.com/mountainDew or follow on Twitter @mountainDew.

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.com and the NBA app, which achieved record traffic during the 2014-15 season, as well as NBA TV.  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.