KG's New Footwear Launch!

Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics and adidas Commemorate the NBA Finals with
Limited Edition Footwear Launch

All sales profits will go to NBA Cares community partners in the Boston area.

For Immediate Release – Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics and adidas announced today the launch of a rare version of Garnett’s 2008-09 adidas Team Signature Commander shoe. This footwear release was designed to commemorate the Celtics’ historic run at an NBA Championship. adidas will produce only eight pairs per game of this exciting shoe to be sold at retail, starting at 10:00am on June 5, 2008 (as few as 32 pairs or as many as 56 pairs will be available depending on the number of games The Finals goes to). One special pair of shoes autographed by KG will be auctioned off on NBA.com after The Finals. All profits from the sale of these shoes will go to NBA Cares community partners in the Boston area.

The adidas Team Signature KG Commander is scheduled to launch in October 2008, but for this year’s NBA Finals, Kevin Garnett will wear a special version that will be highlighted by the inclusion of the coveted Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy on the medial side, and an embroidered callout to games 1 thru 7 on the lateral side. The number of that night’s game will be in green while the others remain white. The numbers 1 thru 7 also get larger as each game grows in significance.

“All season long it has been about we and not me, so as we head into the NBA Finals I wanted to do something special for the Boston community. That is why we came up with this limited edition adidas Team Signature KG Commander,” stated Garnett. “Since day one, the fans of Boston have made me feel like family, so to do this and be able to give back to them is a great honor.”

Another key attribute that has adorned KG’s shoes throughout the years are his tributes to two of his good friends and mentors: Malik Sealy (former Timberwolves teammate) and Kirby Puckett (former Minnesota Twins Superstar Centerfielder). Malik’s tribute is located under the strap and says “2 Malik”, while Kirby’s call out, “KP 34” is located on the back of the shoe, just below the adidas logo.

“KG redefines what passion means on the basketball court but this energy also spills over to include every off-court initiative that he is involved with as well,” stated Lawrence Norman, VP Global Basketball for adidas. “His switch never turns off - KG is 100% authentic and his drive to make a difference in the community is real and ongoing. This was the perfect concept for a guy like KG and adidas to get involved with as we both enjoy finding fun, creative ways to give back to the local community.”

“KG has shown throughout his career that he is a consummate team player, whose passion for the game, his teammates and his community is unmatched,” stated Rich Gotham, President, Boston Celtics. “KG embodies all of the characteristics that all true Celtic greats have and this is one of many ways that Kevin gives back to the city of Boston and its fans.”


The limited edition adidas Team Signature Commander will only be available at Celtics.com, the TD Banknorth Garden Pro Shop and NBA Store in New York City. Each pair of adidas Team Signature KG Commanders will retail for $1017 (to commemorate the drive for championship #17).

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About adidas
adidas has been providing innovative products for the world’s best athletes for more than 50 years, from past NBA legends to today’s superstars, such as Chauncey Billups, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady and Candace Parker.

On April 11, 2006 adidas and the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year global merchandising partnership making the adidas brand the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA Development League (D-League) beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season.

About the Boston Celtics
A charter member of the Basketball Association of America (which evolved into the National Basketball Association) since 1946, the Boston Celtics have won a record 16 NBA Championships, including eight (8) in a row from 1959-1966, and have won NBA titles in three (3) different eras. In addition, 31 former Celtics players, management or staff have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. During the 2004-05 NBA season, the Celtics won their first Atlantic Division title in 12 seasons. For more information on the Celtics, log on to www.celtics.com.

About the NBA The NBA reaches fans and consumers worldwide through the licensing and marketing of consumer products bearing the league’s trademarks and player attributes. Over 200 licensees manufacture, sell and market NBA branded products that are promoted worldwide and sold in more than 100,000 retail locations, in 100 countries on six continents. Major categories include video games, apparel, footwear, sporting goods and trading cards. Twenty-five percent of merchandise sales are generated from outside the United States. NBA merchandise is sold at over 50,000 retail locations in China. Over one million fans visit the NBA Store each year and the 2006-07 season marked the Store's best sales year ever. In addition to offering merchandise for all 30 NBA teams, 14 WNBA team and 14 NBA Development League teams, the Store features multimedia attractions, a fully operational broadcast booth and an official half-court used for special events, and regularly-scheduled appearances by NBA and WNBA players, legends and celebrities. NBAStore.com re-launched in November 2007 with the most comprehensive online assortment of NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League merchandise. The site is visited by over 20 million people each year and there is an online store in Europe.

Don't forget Black Music Month- KFC & MUSIC INDUSTRY EXEC. BRYANT REID COOK UP 'HITMAKER' CONTEST FOR MUSICIANS

Jun 09, 2008

TO CELEBRATE BLACK MUSIC MONTH, KFC & MUSIC INDUSTRY EXEC. BRYANT REID COOK UP 'HITMAKER' CONTEST FOR MUSICIANS

Program Discovers Up-and-Coming Talent and Benefits Little Kids Rock,
A National Non-Profit Helping Aspiring Musicians Succeed in the Classroom and Beyond

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 3, 2008) -- Everyone knows KFC delivers hot, finger-lickin' meals. For the second consecutive year, KFC will also generate hot, finger-snappin' beats with its "Hitmaker" song contest. To celebrate Black Music Month, KFC invites aspiring musicians to submit their best beats to win national exposure and great prizes as part of its Pride 360° program.

Musicians who enter the contest will get a chance to be one of 12 artists featured on the Pride 360° CD. KFC will also team with music industry veteran Bryant Reid, president and CEO of B Street Entertainment, producer of B Street Live, and former vice president of A&R for LaFace Records and Atlantic Records, to pick one grand prize winner who will receive a home recording studio.

Award-Winning Music for a Good Cause
Musicians will have their songs on the Hitmaker Web site www.KFC.com/pride360, where they can be downloaded as mobile phone ring tones. KFC will donate all profits from ring tone downloads to Little Kids Rock, a national non-profit organization that supports music in the academic lives of public school children by providing instrument instruction, free instruments and trained mentors.

"This year's KFC Hitmaker song contest is bigger and better than ever," said KFC's chief operating officer Harvey Brownlee. "We are proud to salute those striving to make Black Music Month a celebration this year and in the future. By helping Little Kids Rock, KFC hopes to have a positive impact on those who will add to the universal language of music for years to come."
Notes from a Hitmaker

During his tenure, Reid demonstrated an eye for new talent. He discovered the young talent of Grammy Award winning and multi-platinum artist Usher and worked on Toni Braxton's multi-platinum selling debut album. He has continued to find ways to expose deserving talent by producing and creating a television series called "B Street Live," which aired on a regional cable network.

"I listen for artists who bring a unique style and sound," said Reid. "I look forward to seeing the creativity and pride that Hitmaker 2008 will inspire."

Tune Up and Tune In

To enter, any musician can create a song about Pride 360°. All winning song entries will use the key words Individual, Family, Community, and Heritage. Artists may upload their audio submissions (and artist/musician photos) at www. KFC.com/pride360 or mail them by August 1 to KFC at 1900 Colonel Sanders Lane, Louisville, KY, 40213, Attn: KFC Hitmaker. All visitors to KFC.com can vote for their favorite versions of the Pride 360° theme song from August 4-18.

The grand prize winner and the other winners whose music will be featured on the CD will be selected on August 31. For more information and official rules, please visit www.KFC.com/pride360.

About KFC KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™ and Colonel's Crispy Strips® with home-style sides, Honey BBQ Wings, and freshly made chicken sandwiches. There are more than 14,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countries and territories around the world, serving some 12 million customers each day. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM.)

About Pride 360° Pride 360° is KFC's reminder that the reasons we succeed are all around us - Individuals, Families, Communities. KFC wants to encourage others to succeed and achieve by honoring their heritage and fostering a belief in people. KFC believes, "What we honor today comes full circle tomorrow." For more information about KFC's commitment to the African-American community, please visit www.kfc.com/pride360.

About Little Kids Rock

Little Kids Rock is a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and music classes to low-income children in public schools. Little Kids Rock believes that music is a critical component of first-rate education. Founded by an elementary school teacher in 1996, Little Kids Rock is now serving thousands of students in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington D.C. More information can be found at www.littlekidsrock.org.

Diddy or Puff Daddy!??

Combs Reverting to Puff Daddy Status?
06/09/2008 10:00 AM, E! Online

Sean Combs must be feeling nostalgic.

The nickname-friendly hip-hop mogul, whose "official" alternate moniker has metamorphosed over the years from Puffy to Puff Daddy to P. Diddy to Diddy and so on, has decided to take a cue from his past.

Although his rep has denied reports of a name change, Combs has indicated on his MySpace site and via a guest appearance on a new single that he is reclaiming Puff Daddy, a handle he hasn't used since 2001.

"They call me Puff Daddy...he's back," Combs raps on the remix of former stylist O'Neal McKnight's single "Check Your Coat," which also features Greg Nice and Jermaine Dupree.
"Yeah, you heard me right—I said Puff Daddy," he continues. "I'm about to back on that Puff Daddy s--t."
Sounds pretty convincing.
Although he originally wrote "This is your boy Puff Daddy!!! Yes Puff Daddy" in a blog entry on his MySpace page, a new entry, dated today, now reads, "This is your boy P.Diddy, the King of the Remix..."

So which is it, Diddy? Er, Daddy?
Well, he certainly doesn't like the idea of anyone else trading on the name Puff Daddy, whether he's using it or not.
The multihyphenate's legal camp recently sent a cease-and-desist letter to cufflink seller Cuff-Daddy.com, warning the niche business that its name is way too close to Combs' second stage name.

It's unclear whether the current reversion to Puff Daddy has anything to do with a British court's decision in 2006 that Combs couldn't go by Diddy in England because U.K. record producer Richard "Diddy" Dearlove had already been using the name professionally for years.

"It's only fair that since he said he used Diddy first, that he be allowed to use it," Combs said amiably at the time. "I am blessed that I have many, many names to choose from."