Past and future greats to be at new Summer League fan event
The NBA is furthering its presence in Las Vegas with the league planning to host a new multiday, fan-oriented event for the first time on the Strip.
NBA Con is set for July 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay and will feature an array of musical acts, former and current NBA player appearances, exclusive merchandise and live podcast recordings.
Taking place in more than 400,000 square feet of space in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the NBA thought tying the first NBA Con with Summer League in Las Vegas was a perfect marriage of event and location.
“The desire is to bring together the holistic interest of our players and our fans into one environment,” said Joey Graziano, the head of event strategy and development for the NBA.
The event will be one of the first chances for fans to interact with this year’s No. 1 NBA draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, in addition to current players including Trae Young, C.J. McCollum, NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and Scott Henderson, and former players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West.
There will be meet-and-greets with many of the players. They will also take part in panel discussions and live podcasts throughout the weekend.
“Think about a panel that has Victor connected to Paolo, connected to Kareem,” Graziano said. “What a great story that can only happen at the NBA with the potential presumptive rookie of the year, the current rookie of the year and (Abdul-Jabbar) one of the greatest legends of our game.”
There will be more than 50 vendors spread out throughout the event space offering an array of products and experiences, including NBA Con-branded merchandise.
“We designed it with this idea of creating NBA neighborhoods,” Graziano said. “Neighborhoods in which fans are able to engage in and show off their authentic interests.”
The themed neighborhoods include:
— The Drip: Fashion exhibitors with NBA-focused merchandise
— The Collection: An art and collectible space with an NBA focus
— The Network: A tech-focused area where basketball and technology will collide, providing interactive opportunities including augmented and virtual reality games.
— The Stage: Five musical acts will perform throughout the weekend.
— The Park: Fans can put up shots, view open team practices and even play in open runs against other fans.
“The Park is our opportunity to put a ball in fans’ hands,” Graziano said. “We’re going to have a real NBA basketball court there and we’re targeting NBA teams to potentially practice there.”
Tickets start at $30 and range up to $250 for the MVP package. Those with the MVP package will get into NBA Con an hour early, have fast-pass lanes for the event’s attractions, have priority viewing areas for the daily concerts in addition to receiving an NBA Con gift bag and MVP badge.
The NBA plans to make NBA Con an annual event. It is slated to be held in different cities and will take place again in Las Vegas.
“There are some exciting places where our game isn’t currently able to happen live on a daily basis,” Graziano said. “So, NBA Con will be a new platform for us to do that.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.
