By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green has joined Baron Davis, Metta World Peace, and Shane Battier as the newest investor ambassador of the East Asia Super League (EASL), Asia’s premier basketball league.
Green, 20, will be involved in EASL digital content and activations moving forward and as the league informs, it will provide an in-depth look into his everyday life, focusing on his Asian heritage.
The EASL is quickly expanding and sets its aim to become one of the top three leagues in the world by audience size and commercial revenue by 2025. The league has signed a ten-year agreement with FIBA and its teams will compete not only for the title but also for a $1M prize.
Per EASL’s press release:
East Asia Super League (EASL) and Jalen Green announced a revolutionary partnership ahead of the league’s inaugural home-and-away season pan-regional format, beginning October 2022. Jalen Green previously made history as the NBA’s highest-drafted Asian American player in the league (second overall) and became the third athlete of Filipino descent to make it to the NBA. Now, Green will join the ranks of Baron Davis, Metta World Peace, and Shane Battier as the newest investor ambassador of Asia’s premier basketball league.
“I’m excited to partner with the East Asia Super League and connect with more of my fans in the Philippines and across Asia. I want to be an inspiration for the next generation of hoopers in Asia and elevate the game in the region and that’s what EASL is all about,” said Jalen Green.
Green is one of the most influential athletes in the game today, especially in the Philippines from where his mother hails. He has become a global symbol of basketball and already has a phenomenal influence on the development of the sport.
“Jalen Green is the top Asian heritage NBA star and holds a deep understanding of the marketplace while being loved by fans in Asia and all over the world. He also cares deeply about the sport and believes that helping elevate the game in Asia is part of his legacy. The superstar now has a new way to do that and connect with his fans in the Philippines via East Asia Super League,” said East Asia Super League CEO Matt Beyer.
Green will be a major feature in East Asia Super League’s marketing strategy. The Filipino-American star will be active in interviews, online events with local players, social media campaigns, and on-the-ground activations in the Philippines and other Asian markets during his off-season.
Key stakeholders and commissioners from East Asia Super League partners around the region also shared their thoughts on the revolutionary partnership.
“The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as a partner of EASL, is excited to work closely with EASL ambassador Jalen Green, a Filipino-American well known in the Philippines. We expect a successful and competitive opening season this year and in the years to come,” said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial. “We are looking forward to EASL becoming the strongest regional basketball league in East Asia.”
“It is great to see another basketball player at the highest level become an ambassador with our partner, East Asia Super League. Asian players continue to reach the highest level of the game, such as Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe, and Jalen Green. East Asia Super League is a game-changer in the region that will continue to elevate the game and provide the impetus for more Asian players to reach the highest level,” said, B.LEAGUE Chairman Shinji Shimada.
East Asia Super League has built large momentum going into Season 1 of home-and-away competition following new digital marketing campaigns and announcements. East Asia Super League’s previous two announcements generated more than 660 news articles from major outlets reaching more than 4 billion people across the globe.
“The Korean Basketball League (KBL) welcomes and congratulates Jalen Green as the new ambassador for East Asia Super League. Many Asian players have recently made their way to the NBA and there is a high expectation that Korea’s Lee Hyunjoong will also become an NBA player. The KBL desires EASL to continue to leverage partnerships with world-class basketball players to elevate Asian basketball and hopes Asian basketball can shine on the international stage,” said KBL Commissioner Kim Heeok.
“The East Asia Super League is going to be a hotbed for entertaining and high-level basketball. Similarly, I can attest to Jalen Green’s unbelievable talents as an avid basketball viewer myself. It will be exciting to watch Green develop as a player, and have his advocacy expand the East Asia Super League’s reach to greater audiences,” said P. LEAGUE+ CEO Charles Chen.
The content produced with Jalen Green from the new partnership will provide an in-depth and authentic look into his everyday life focusing on Green’s Asian heritage, NBA journey, fashion and more. Since focusing on digital marketing in 2020, East Asia Super League has engaged with more than 100 players and influencers, producing content that has reached more than 430 million and generated more than 200 million video plays.