October 16 2002
"Magic" Johnson on the ball in new LEGO Basketball game
The new Basketball Hall of Fame has just opened its doors in Springfield, Mass., U.S.A. This was the perfect setting to unveil the new LEGO NBA Basketball sets, all available world-wide in shops starting January 2003. NBA legend and Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee Earvin "Magic" Johnson and eight-year-old L.J. Brown, son of Hall of Fame Inductee Larry Brown, the Philadelphia 76ers head coach, played the first official LEGO Basketball game – as Andrew Black, President of LEGO Americas, cheered on with the crowd.
With the new LEGO Basketball NBA sets, LEGO mini figures compete against each other on tiny basketball courts, which, of course, children must first build. The figures pick up the ball and pass or shoot for the basket – thanks to a patented spring system.
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During the weekend many local children helped build the world's largest NBA Spalding Basketball. It took 148,950 LEGO elements to complete the 2.5 m high ball.
"Magic" Johnson played against eight-year-old L.J. Brown.
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Hall of Fame
The new NBA Hall of Fame is only a 12-minute drive from the LEGO System offices in Enfield. Springfield was home of the first basketball game played in 1891 – making it the perfect location for a new museum dedicated to the history of basketball. In his opening speech, John Doleva, President and CEO of the Hall of Fame, said: "This is not just a museum – it's a theatre of basketball history. It will be an exciting place, a place people will want to visit again and again."
LEGO NBA Basketball
The new products will be sold as part of the new LEGO SPORTS line. At the unveiling Andrew Black said: “We think the link between sports and construction is a specially apt one. LEGO NBA sets combine classic LEGO construction toys with the competitive elements in basketball. The combination is a real slam dunk."
During an eight-week period starting October 28, LEGO.com/sports will conduct an online draft to reveal the NBA stars that will be included on the LEGO NBA mini figure team. Each set comprises of three mini figures plus a collector's card with each player's statistics.
For further information, please contact:
The LEGO Company
Jette Orduna
Global Company Communications
Telephone: +45 7950 6306
E-mail: jette.orduna@europe.lego.com
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