NBA celebrates Noches éneobéoa

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced plans for the league’s eighth annual Latin nights program titled Noches éneobéoa (eh-nay-bay-ah), which will feature seven commemorative games and celebrate the growing support of NBA fans and players across Latin American and U.S. Hispanic communities.

The Noches éneobéoa games, four of which will air nationally on ABC, TNT, and NBA TV, will include special telecasts, in-arena festivities, and distinctive NBA team uniforms to be worn by six teams: Chicago Bulls (Los Bulls), San Antonio Spurs (Los Spurs), Phoenix Suns (Los Suns), Los Angeles Lakers (Los Lakers), Miami Heat (El Heat), and New York Knicks (Nueva York).  Additionally, for the first time, all 30 NBA teams will wear specially-designed Noches éneobéoa shooting shirts from adidas, the league’s official on court apparel provider, during the first two weeks of March.

In addition, seven-time NBA All-Star and U.S.-born Hispanic player Carmelo Anthony will tip off the festivities by appearing on the first éneobéoa original TV spot to feature an NBA player.

“With Hispanic fans comprising 18 percent of the league’s fan base, we have a responsibility to be inclusive and deliver customized experiences that connect with our fans in meaningful ways,” said Saskia Sorrosa, NBA Vice President of Multicultural Marketing.  “Noches éneobéoa is a perfect example of the NBA’s ongoing commitment to celebrating diversity as part of the fabric of our game.”

As the league’s marquee program under the éneobéoa platform, a comprehensive initiative to grow the game of basketball throughout the expanding U.S. Hispanic market, Noches éneobéoa events will also be supported with television and radio advertising on both English- and Spanish-language media across the country as well as on the league’s Spanish-language Web site, enebea.com, and social media pages.  

A special feature of the Noches éneobéoa games will be the adidas-designed uniforms that display team names as spoken by the bicultural, bilingual Latino population and Spanish-language TV and radio announcers.  The Miami Heat, for example, is “El Heat,” and the San Antonio Spurs are referred to as “Los Spurs.”  New uniforms with the updated Noches éneobéoa logo and unique patterns on the back of the jerseys, as well as additional