NBA and Samsung announce partnership, referees to use Galaxy tablets

Who's ready for a ton of Samsung Galaxy ____ commercials during their favorite NBA games?

You may remember LeBron James showing off the Galaxy Note 2 last year in TV ads, it now appears Samsung is going beyond joining forces with just one superstar, to all of them.

The NBA and Samsung today announced an official partnership which makes the korean tech company the "official handset, tablet and television provider" of the NBA.

“With this partnership Samsung and the NBA are committed to elevating the future of the game with innovative product and service solutions for the players, coaches, referees and fans.” said Todd Pendleton, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Telecommunications America. “With these new experiences players will be able to take their game to the next level while fans will be able to engage in new ways with their favorite teams and players.”

The deal seems a bit similar to the one that Microsoft and the NFL netted in the off-season, plastering the Microsoft PC/Tablet "Surface" branding all over the place in NFL games. Samsung seems like they are implementing their tech into the game a little bit better. All NBA referees will have Samsung tablets on hand and will use "Samsung Technology" courtside to review plays.

Probably a step up from the upside down TV on the scorers table.

Samsung has emerged on the mobile phone scene in the last year as the biggest Android manufacturer on the market and the biggest competitor to Apple's iPhone. Their aggressive marketing campaigns for the Galaxy S3 and 4 have vaulted their phones into the public eye and have even outsold the iPhone at certain points. Samsung is by far the most successful Android OEM and it looks like they are making more smart moves again in the marketing department.

Even as an Android enthusiast though, I'm not a big fan of Samsung. They make great devices, but their skinned version of Google's Android (called Touch Wiz) could be a lot better. If you're looking for the best phone on the market, I would recommend the Moto X or (forthcoming) Nexus 5. Because you always get your tech advice from basketball blogs.

Via: Droid Life