There has been a lot in the news lately on the NBA’s green efforts, especially as it relates to this weekend’s All Star festivities in Phoenix. As first reported in The Arizona Republic, the NBA is making this All Star game its greenest yet by taking the following measures:
- Doubling the number of recycle bins at All Star festivities
- Creating a PSA featuring the Suns’ Steve Nash and Dan Majerle at all All Star functions
- Using post-consumer products to build a playground as part of a community service project
- Purchasing 1500 megawatt hours of renewable-energy credits from Arizona utility, APS
Show Me the Bling
This is all great and I’m happy to see the NBA continue its effort to green its teams and brand. But I’m wondering if the NBA is simply going through the green motions. I started looking for cool NBA green bling (icons, logos, photos, etc.) that at least visually demonstrate their new greenness. I looked on their web site. Air ball. The NBA YouTube channel. Blacked out. Even the ’09 All Star and NBA Jam Sesssion sites. Benched!
The Jam Session kicked off the week of festivities. This 500,000 square feet of family fun is a cavalcade of NBA history, games, and exhibits. But not one square foot dedicated to educating consumers on the benefits of green living and sustainable habits. What an opportunity missed!
If I ran the NBA circus, here are 10 things I’d do (They have to pay for my other 32 ideas):
- Green H-O-R-S-E (Winner gets a solar-powered lighted sports court)
- Half-court shoot competition for a Tesla motor car
- Let kids produce their own NBA green PSA’s and run those (Winner goes to Sundance Film Festival)
- Give away re-usable KOR water bottles with commemorative green logo
- Hand out green basketballs, green air pumps (You know, for sustainability), and green sweat bands that say, “Green Your Game”
- Karaoke competition for who can sing, “Turn Out the Lights, the Party’s Over” the best.
- Commemorative green Air Jordan Nike sneakers with the caption on the side: “Earth Bound”
- Water conservation message on green Gatorade bottles
- Work with the local Harlem Globe Trotters to bring the green message to Phoenix schools
- Have the refs wear green and white stripes for the game.
What would you do to launch the NBA’s green initiative at the NBA All Star Game? So far they’ve come out kind of flat.
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ProBlogger Darren Rowse
