TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2017 /CNW/ -- Celebrating the return of the NBA season, Foot Locker announces its latest year-long partnership with Toronto Raptors star and NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, designed to drive excitement and build awareness of basketball's storied history in Canada.
To kick-off the partnership, Foot Locker today debuts "Original Basketball" digitally on its YouTube channel. The piece features basketball players from CIA Bounce – the top Canadian basketball program with a number of alums in the ranks of the NBA – adopting the 13 original rules of the game as created in 1892 by Canadian-American physical educator, James Naismith. After teaching the players the rules, DeRozan officiated the game, keeping the play true to its original Canadian roots.
"Basketball is back and I'm partnering with Foot Locker to get fans here in Canada excited," said DeRozan. "Relearning the game by its original rules and then trying my hand at refereeing was hysterical. For me, the strangest rule is that you can't dribble; you have to shoot or pass once you catch the ball. The ball is really different too, not to mention the basket!"
"Having a partner that personifies all that Canadian basketball stands for is perfect for Foot Locker," said Patrick Walsh, vice president of marketing for Foot Locker North America. "DeMar has the support of a whole country behind him, and showcasing the best Nike products available at Foot Locker makes him the ideal guy for the job."
The spot features a great assortment of premium Nike gear, including the Nike Kobe A.D., Nike React Hyperdunk 2017 Flyknit and Nike Dri-FIT basketball apparel, available at Foot Locker stores nationwide and footlocker.ca. The spot was created by worldwide agency BBDO. DeRozan is expected to be featured in more Canada-specific Foot Locker content over the coming year.
About Foot Locker:
Foot Locker is part of Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,350 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Through its Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Footaction, SIX:02, Runners Point and Sidestep retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channels, including footlocker.com, Eastbay.com and SIX02.com, the Company is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.
Additional information may be found at footlocker.ca | Instagram: @footlockercanada| Twitter: @footlockercad | YouTube: youtube.com/FLLocker | Facebook: facebook.com/footlockercanada #Approved
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SOURCE Foot Locker, Inc.
For further information: Sarah Houseknecht, Foot Locker, shouseknecht@footlocker.com, +1(212)720-4186, http://www.footlocker.ca, http://www.footlocker-inc.com
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