Rockets build on Lin signing with East West deal

21 September 2012 | Posted in Sponsorship, Basketball, North America | By Eoin Connolly

East West Bank has agreed a three-year deal with the NBA's Houston Rockets.

The bank, which has branches throughout the US and China, will be granted a branding presence at the Rockets' Houston Toyota Center and exposure in media coverage of the team until the end of the 2014/15 NBA season.

The deal follows the Rockets' signing earlier this of Jeremy Lin, the first Taiwanese or Chinese-American to play in the NBA, who joined from the New York Knicks after grabbing headlines with a string of excellent performances last season.  

The Rockets have a high profile in China and agreed a string of partnerships with Asian companies after their 2002 signing of Yao Ming, the Chinese centre who retired in 2011.

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Houston Rockets chief executive Tad Brown said: "Over the past decade, the Rockets have developed and established an international following, particularly throughout Asia. This partnership with East West Bank, a leader in the international banking community, will add to that global presence."