Shaquille O’Neal Announced Retirement
Real-Time Video Status Updates Turn iPhones into Media Outlets
Social media start-up Tout.com catapulted into the limelight when Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most celebrated players in the NBA, chose the company’s real-time video status update application to announce his decision to retire from the NBA to his millions of fans. Tout enables iPhone users to “in one click” capture quick 15-second video messages that are instantly pushed out to friends, family, followers — or the whole world — through Twitter, Facebook, SMS and email.
“In addition to being one of the greatest basketball players of our time, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the savviest social media influencers out there,” said Michael Downing, founder and CEO of Tout. “We were thrilled that he instantly understood the potential of Tout. Shaq now effectively has his own real-time media network through Tout, instantly updating his nearly four million Twitter followers and two million Facebook fans, determining the programming solely with his iPhone.”
O’Neal is using Tout to share real-time updates, from breaking his retirement news directly to his fans to the formal press conference scheduled for Friday, June 3. Shaq will be using Tout as his own personal media network, updating his Twitter followers and his Facebook fans directly with new and exciting developments in his life following his retirement from the NBA.
Available for free download in the Apple App Store, Tout makes it simple to capture life’s moments via an iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or iPad2 and instantly share 15-second video status updates to friends, family or the whole world through Facebook, Twitter, email, SMS and iPhone contacts. The Tout application also alerts users to new Touts, and allows them to watch real-time updates from people they “follow” and Touts that are popular that day. At Tout.com, anyone can browse the community of popular users and see their most recent updates as they Tout them. Tout will be available for Android in July.
adidas Launched the Lightest Shoe in Basketball: adiZero Crazy Light
New adiZero Crazy Light to debut during NBA Playoffs on Derrick Rose and others
adidas unveiled the new adiZero Crazy Light, the lightest shoe in basketball. At 9.8 ounces, the revolutionary adiZero Crazy Light sets a new standard for basketball footwear at more than 15 percent lighter than the nearest competitor (1) to help players be faster to improve performance on the court. The adiZero Crazy Light basketball shoe now gives adidas the lightest footwear in three sports including football (adiZero 5-Star cleat) and soccer (F50 adiZero cleat).
“Lighter footwear makes you faster and speed dominates on the basketball court,” said Derrick Rose, two-time NBA All-Star of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls. “The adiZero Crazy Light is the lightest basketball shoe I’ve ever worn and it will no doubt make me faster on the court for our playoff run.”
“No other basketball shoe compares to the new adiZero Crazy Light and it’s a shoe that will revolutionize the game,” said Lawrence Norman, adidas Vice President of Global Basketball. “The ultra lightweight design is built for players who want to be faster, jump higher and perform better on the court. From the NBA’s best to pick-up games across the world, players are asking for light footwear to help them become one step quicker – and the adiZero Crazy Light delivers this in a way like no shoe in history.” Read more
Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Bradley Beal
Former NBA Champion and Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning Surprises Standout with Elite Honor
In its 26th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Bradley Beal of Chaminade College Preparatory (St. Louis, Mo.) as its 2010-11 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Beal was surprised with the news in his global issues class by former NBA Champion Alonzo Mourning, who earned Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors in 1987-88.
“When I received the award in 1988, it was such a pivotal moment for me as an athlete. I’m grateful to be a part of this moment for Bradley, who is truly a phenomenal student-athlete on and off the court,” said Mourning, a Gold Medalist, seven-time NBA All-Star, and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. “Gatorade has been on the sidelines fueling athletic performance for years, so to be recognized by a brand that understands the game and truly helps athletes perform is a huge honor for these kids.”
As the recipient of the 228th Gatorade National Player of the Year trophy to be awarded since 1985, Beal becomes the first student-athlete from the state of Missouri to earn Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors. Only two other Missourians have earned Gatorade National Player of the Year recognition in any sport—former Olympian and retired MLS midfielder Matt McKeon of De Smet Jesuit (1991-92) and retired Major Indoor Soccer League defender Kevin Hundelt of Aquinas-Mercy (1985-86).
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Beal as the nation’s best high school boys basketball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Beal from more than 540,000 boys basketball players nationwide. Beal is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior shooting guard averaged 32.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game this past season, shooting 73 percent from the field and leading the Red Devils (27-1) to the Class 5 quarterfinals. The state’s returning Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year, Beal concluded his prep career with 2,634 points, the fourth-highest scoring total in greater St. Louis history. Read more
Basketball HD Instant Replay Takes Off in Collegiate Space
XOS Digital Places HD Replay on 2011 Horizon for College Basketball
XOS Digital announced that it is expanding its XOS HD Replay product line to now include a version formatted specifically for college basketball. The announcement was made by Chris McCleary, CEO, XOS Digital.
“The need for instant replay in college basketball is apparent, yet there are several factors to consider when implementing a replay system,” McCleary said. “Decision makers must consider the number of televised games, amount of space available courtside, the ease of use required for a fast-paced sport and the need to evaluate officials’ performance on the court. The XOS HD Replay system for basketball was designed specifically for the basketball market, with the capability to meet the replay needs among all conferences at a very affordable price.”
XOS Digital’s newest replay product uses the same core technology found within the XOS HD Replay system for football, which was used by the SEC, Big 12, WAC and Conference USA during the 2010 college football season as well as in 18 bowl games including 2 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games. Read more
2011 Puerto Rico Basketball League Season to Air in United States Exclusively on WAPA America
WAPA America, the U.S. cable network arm of the leading broadcaster in Puerto Rico, WAPA Television, has secured exclusive rights to air the 2011 Puerto Rico Basketball League season, which will include regular season games and the playoffs.
The season kicks off on March 31 with the highly-anticipated game between defending champions, Los Capitanes de Arecibo (The Arecibo Captains), and the 2010 runner-up, Los Vaqueros de Bayamon (The Bayamon Cowboys).
More than 80 years old, Puerto Rico’s Basketball League (BSN, for its Spanish acronym) is well-recognized around the world, and a number of current NBA players got their start with the BSN, including Jose Juan Barea (Dallas Mavericks), Carlos Arroyo (Boston Celtics) and Renaldo Balkman (New York Knicks).
“Puerto has a rich basketball tradition and the sport is extremely popular among Puerto Ricans and many other Hispanic audiences,” said Jose E. Ramos, President of WAPA Television. ”This is a unique and excellent product for our distribution partners and we are pleased to offer it exclusively to our audience.”
Ten teams will make up the 2011 BSN tournament, with each team playing 30 games. The full schedule can be accessed on www.WapaAmerica.com in the coming days.
WAPA America is the U.S. cable network arm of WAPA Television, the leading broadcast station in Puerto Rico. WAPA America is viewed in more than 3.5 million homes throughout the U.S. and distributed on major cable, satellite and telco providers, including DirecTV, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Verizon FiOS, and AT&T U-verse.