Greg Oden Signs Exclusive Deal With Topps

Ysponder

Ohio State Star Teams With Leading Sports Company For First Marketing Deal

New York, NY (May. 30, 2007) -- The Topps Company announced that it has signed a multi-year exclusive spokesperson deal with 19-year old basketball sensation Greg Oden.
http://www.topps.com/sports/news/toppsNews.aspx?news_id=154
With Oden already drawing comparisons to some of the great NBA big men, sports fans are already buzzing about Oden’s future in the collectibles market, with great anticipation for his first official NBA trading cards.  

''I look forward to business partnerships with industry leading corporations and Topps is one of those companies,'' said Oden.  ''I can’t wait to see my first Topps Rookie Card!''  


The agreement grants Topps exclusive rights within the NBA trading card category for autographed cards, memorabilia cards, licensed memorabilia and the use of Oden on packaging and advertising.  2007-08 Topps Basketball marks the 50th Anniversary of the first Topps Basketball set and will feature Oden and the legendary Boston Celtics, Bill Russell as its primary pitchmen.  Topps Basketball will be available nationwide in mid-August.

In addition, the deal includes joint marketing and branding efforts including the creation of Oden’s official website.

''We are very excited to have one of the NBA’s new stars on our team,'' said Warren Friss, Vice President -- General Manager, Topps Sports. ''We believe Greg has a great future in the NBA ahead of him and we want to be his partner every step of the way.''

Oden, the prospective first overall pick in this June’s NBA Draft, was twice named Gatorade National High School Player of the Year while attending Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, IN (Oden and LeBron James are the only two boys basketball players to receive the honor twice).  During his first and only year at The Ohio State University, the 7-foot Center led the Buckeyes to the 2007 National Championship Title Game while garnering AP All-American First Team honors.



''Greg and Topps compliment each other well,'' said Mike Conley, Sr. of BDA Sports Management.  ''Greg is a special young man with a successful career ahead of him and Topps is a class organization with a true vision for this partnership.''

Oden joins Dwyane Wade and baseball players David Wright, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Ryan Howard and the late Mickey Mantle as Topps exclusives.


About Topps: Founded in 1938 as Topps Chewing Gum, Topps issued its first basketball cards in 1957 and is an international marketer of sports and entertainment products, including collectible trading cards, sticker album collections and candy.