SPALDING ROLLS OUT INDUSTRIAL, HEAVY DUTY NBA BALL TRUCK
Sporting Goods Giant Bends Over Backwards So NBA Players Won't Have To

Springfield, MA, October, 2005
It is being deemed the HUMMER^® of ball carts and an indestructible unit with improved performance for NBA players and equipment managers. A new Spalding NBA Pro Grade Ball Truck will debut on NBA courts this season.

The largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, Spalding has outfitted each of the 30 NBA teams with two mammoth-sized ball carts made to withstand the rigors of the NBA arenas. Comprised of heavy duty, all metallic, square and rectangle structural tubing, sheet metal and solid rod, the new trucks were furnished to each NBA team along with 50 laser engraved NBA leather game balls (each with their respective team name). Both the truck and the NBA basketballs feature Spalding's new logo and S icon and represent Spalding's new "True to the Game" positioning.

"Spalding is committed to providing the best equipment to the NBA," stated Christy Hedgpeth, senior manager of marketing. "In working with the NBA players and managers, we constantly access the performance of our products and tailor our product development to reflect their needs."

The Spalding NBA Pro Grade Basketball Truck, whose general dimensions are 54-1/2" tall x 60-1/2" long x 25-1/2" wide, weighs 91 pounds and is better proportioned for today's NBA player. The new truck weighs three times the ball cart teams have received in the past and is double the size. Able to hold 20 percent more basketballs than the old carts, it is made of 1-1/2" round steel tubing with 6 x 2 non-marking pneumatic swivel casters. The finish is a powder coated chrome paint with vinyl logos on a 14 gauge sheet metal sign plate.

"The new ball truck is more durable and stable which allows us to negotiate the obstructions in the arena with greater ease," stated Mike Abdenour, head athletic trainer for the Detroit Pistons. "The larger wheels provide more maneuverability around things like cables, cords and various ramps."

Spalding's strategy is to leverage its NBA affiliation to consumers. According to company officials, the company is in the development stages of creating a replica ball truck for consumers in 2006 with plans for distribution through NBA.com and institutional channels.

ABOUT SPALDING

As a Division of Russell Corporation, the Spalding Group consists of three business units: Spalding in Springfield, MA; American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) in Jefferson, IA; and Huffy Sports, in Sussex, WI. The three companies, collectively combined, are now the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world. Spalding is the official basketball supplier of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the official backboard of the NBA and NCAA, the official volleyball of the King of the Beach Volleyball Tour, the official soccer ball of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and the official football of the Arena Football League (AFL) and Pop Warner. For more information, visit www.spalding.com.