2015 NBA Green Week Tips Off

The NBA is devoting an entire week of programs to engaging fans in sustainability and generating awareness to help strengthen communities and protect the environment. This year, the 2015 NBA Green Week presented by Sprint started on Sunday March 22 and will run until March 29.  

In partnership with the Green Sports Alliance, the NBA is the only professional sports league to dedicate an entire week every year to educating fans about environmental stewardship with simple steps they can do at home. The 2015 NBA Green Week presented by Sprint will see teams and players participating in greening programs and events that encourage fans to take on green “three pointers” that focus on ways to reduce, reuse, recycle, which aim to help fans to be more environmentally responsible at home and throughout their communities. The NBA has a number of national environmental programs and communications during NBA Green Week. These include:

• NBA and NBA Cares is posting “three pointers” with #NBAGreen social channels that will combine game highlights with simple green tips to help fans reduce, reuse and recycle.

• The NBA is working with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a tree each time #NBAGreen is posted by fans (up to 25,000 trees) throughout the week.
• The NBA is planting three trees for every three-pointer hit during an NBA game from March 22 to 29.
• In collaboration with Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the NBA and Sprint has purchased renewable energy certificates to ensure all 64 NBA games played during Green Week are powered by 100% renewable energy.
• Sprint is working with NBA legends to host phone recycling events in Boston and Los Angeles where fans can participate in the Sprint Buyback Program to recycle their phones responsibly with e-Stewards certified recyclers.

The many NBA team activations during Green Week include:

• The Atlanta Hawks will feature a Threes For Trees program.
• The Denver Nuggets will feature Green Week appearances at the Denver Zoo.
• The Detroit Pistons will feature Pistons Green Week, host a Market Garden Green House Event and will complete in-arena Green Week activations.
• The Golden State Warriors will host ABD Learning Without Limits, an E-Waste Recycling Event and Warriors Green Mob Week, and complete in-arena Green Week activations.
• The Houston Rockets will host Recycle Fest, Tree Planting Event, Twitter Tours and an Environmental Awareness Game and a viewing party at GreenStreet.
• The Indiana Pacers will host an E-Cycling Event.
• The Los Angeles Lakers will complete in-arena Green Week activations.
• The Memphis Grizzlies will feature Grizzlies Green Week; Grizzlies Go Green Night and the tenth Annual Tree Planting Event at Shelby Farm Park.
• The Orlando Magic will enhance a community garden and complete in-arena Green Week activations.
• The Portland Trail Blazers will host the second annual Rip City Eco-Summit.
• The Sacramento Kings will host a Farm to Fork Panel.
• The San Antonio Spurs will feature Spurs Green Week Activation and host Go Green Night.

Join your favorite NBA team and get in on the Green Week action this week by taking some of the following simple steps that the NBA is sharing with active fans around the world:

• Recycle your old sports gear. Donate balls, shoes or jerseys you’ve grown out of to help others and the environment.
• Bike to work, the gym, or around town to stay healthy, save money and avoid harmful emissions.
• Use your stainless steel water bottle at practices and games to save money, America’s energy resources, and the environment.
• Buy post-workout snacks in bulk to save cash and cut back on packaging waste.
• Save on gas, money and pollution by braking less and coasting to a stop.
• Put houseplants around your home to cut down on contaminants. Clean air is important for staying healthy on and off the court.
• Carpool with friends and teammates (or take public transit!) to games and practices to save on your gas bills and cut down on pollution.
• Bring a reusable bag to the store when picking up food and drinks for practices or games.
• Check your local news for traffic information before heading out. Sitting in traffic is a waste of time and money; it also creates 8x as much air pollution as traffic moving at regular highway speeds.

Find out more at www.nba.com/green and follow the conversation on Twitter at #NBAGreen, #GreenSports, @SportsAlliance and @NBACares.Read more about the 2015 NBA Green Week accomplishments in Sports Illustrated.