Links: NBA in Europe; AND 1 in Chicago; New Nash Ad...

• The Wall Street Journal published an article last Friday about how some major US sponsors are lining up behind the NBA's Europe Live Tour, which takes place in October and hits several major cities around Europe. Coca Cola, KFC and EA Sports are the main partners (there are 20 total). These brands signed on with the NBA's Tour because they believe American basketball is a key to the hearts of a core target demographic, teenage males. With teens spending less time watching TV and consuming traditional forms of media, brands are looking for ways to be connected to the activities that their consumers are interested in. According to an NBA spokesman, sponsorship dollars for the NBA's Tour has increased 25% over last year. However, my sources in Europe have told me that the NBA left several markets in Germany and Russia feeling burned last year after they ponied up seven figure licensing fees to host the games only to see their efforts to recoup their money through local sponsorships fail completely in part because the NBA had tough restrictions on which categories their local sponsors could come from. That could be one reason that the only city the NBA is returning to from its 2006 Tour is Rome, Italy (whose mayor, Walter Veltroni, is a basketball fanatic), while it will not be going back to Paris, Moscow or Barcelona.

• Here's a nice write-up on the re-formatted AND 1 Mix Tape Tour, which recently stopped in Chicago. AND 1 games are taking place outside this summer and the team personnel has been updated. The TV Show, "Streetball: The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour" is back on ESPN2 this summer with new episodes airing on Monday nights at 10:30.

• Finally, Steve Nash is starring in a new campaign that will make me forget about those awful Raymond Weil (watches) print ads he did. Nash is headlining the campaign for Nike's new Zoom shoe, featuring the tag "Quick is Deadly." The shoe, which is in stores at $110, is double-lasted and apparently very light. It's pretty high too. Nikebasketball.com has video of Nash doing drills, discussing their importance, etc. I'm glad Nash is back doing ads and the lightweight selling point will work, but the site reminds me a little bit of "Better Basketball" to be honest.