Panini America Signs 5 Top NBA Prospects to Exclusive Trading Card Agreements
Late Wednesday Evening Panini America announced the signing of 5 top NBA draft prospects to exclusive trading card agreements. The agreements constitute Panini America's first move since entering into a partnership with the NBA in January to become the exclusive NBA trading card manufacturer.
The signees include Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Tyler Hansbrough (UNC), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Brandon Jennings (Lottomatica Virtus Roma, Italy), and Hasheem Thabeet (UCONN). All 5 of these NBA prospects will be featured in Panini's full line of 2009-10 NBA Basketball Card Products, as well as on select packaging and advertisements. Exclusive autographed cards from each of the players will also be prominently featured in Panini America’s first line of basketball card products.
Panini's first official basketball card release, 2009-10 Prestige Basketball, will feature the five players in their respective NBA team uniforms when it is released in October. 2009-10 Prestige Basketball will include Panini's first official NBA Rookie Cards ever produced.
Mike Eisenstein, CEO of Panini America, reflected on his company's first step into their new role as the exclusive NBA trading card manufacturer, “Blake, Tyler, Jordan, Brandon, and Hasheem are all special players who we believe will have great careers in the NBA. Rookies are a key part of the trading card business and we’re excited that fans will have the opportunity to receive autographed cards of these great players exclusively in Panini packs. As we look forward to beginning our first year as the NBA’s exclusive trading card partner, it was important for us to build around great basketball players and great people. We feel strongly that these five will make a positive impact both on and off the court.”
Panini will take over as the exclusive basketball card company of the NBA beginning with the 2009-10 NBA Season.
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