Goodyear becomes uniform sponsor to NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers, currently the defending champions in the USA’s National Basketball Association, hail from the state in which The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is based. And upon entering into a multiyear sponsorship agreement with the Cavaliers, the Ohio-based tyre maker spoke of “home-state pride.” The deal, announced yesterday at the Cavaliers’ home arena, will see the Goodyear Wingfoot logo appear on player uniforms from the 2017-18 season. In addition, Goodyear will collaborate with Turner Sports, a national broadcaster of the NBA, to develop custom branded content and advertising on TNT and other platforms.

In a statement detailing the new arrangement, Goodyear writes that the deal with the Cavaliers “acknowledges and extends” the two parties’ shared principles of drive, determination and a deep commitment to the community. “This is a natural fit between two organisations rooted in Northeast Ohio whose strong brands have a global following,” said Rich Kramer, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Goodyear. “Goodyear has always been connected to the Cavs from our blimp coverage to the tremendous passion of our associates for the team, and we’re excited to make this relationship even stronger.”

“It was just meant to be that a global iconic brand like Goodyear is our neighbour headquartered in Akron, Ohio, and shares the same DNA of basketball, community purpose and drive for success as the Cavs,” added Len Komoroski, chief executive officer of the Cavaliers. “The treads and threads of this partnership are real, and we couldn’t be more proud to wear the Goodyear Wingfoot and come together to champion Northeast Ohio.”

David Griffin, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager, expressed the significance of the team’s partnership with Goodyear: “This partnership had to be something that our entire franchise, and specifically our team, believed in and can now be inspired by. Having the Wingfoot become part of the actual fabric of our identity does that. The connection represents something deeper than basketball and is forged on a common platform to operate physically and culturally at the highest level. We can’t imagine a more appropriate partner than Goodyear, and the team will have a unique depth of pride wearing the Wingfoot on the court as we compete.”

“Every Akron kid grew up seeing the Wingfoot in the sky on the blimp and feeling pride in our community,” said Cavaliers NBA All Star LeBron James, whose wife Savannah ‘christened’ the new Goodyear blimp Wingfoot Tw last year. “There is something special for me personally about having that logo on the Cavs uniform. Goodyear is also very supportive of the LeBron James Family Foundation. I can’t imagine a better situation with our new Cavs jersey than bringing together Nike and Goodyear, two companies that mean a lot to me and my family.”

As well as announcing the uniform sponsorship deal, Goodyear and the Cavaliers stated yesterday that they would jointly support local schools in both Cleveland and Akron with US$1 million worth of funding.