LeBron James announced as Kia’s newest Brand Ambassador
By Kia New Zealand Nov 12th 2014
As the NBA season gets underway in the United States, featuring rising Kiwi star Steven Adams, Kia Motors has just pulled off a major basketball recruitment move of its own.
Basketball mega star LeBron James has been signed as the newest Brand Ambassador for Kia.
On the court, he’s a ten-time NBA All-Star and the most popular athlete in the US, away from the arena he is a philanthropist, businessman and trendsetter; and now LeBron James proudly includes a Kia K900 (known as ‘Quoris’ in some markets) – the brand’s first-ever rear-drive luxury sedan – among his fleet of exotic automobiles. And it was James that made the first move.
James assumes the role after the avid car collector reached out to Kia – the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA – for a first-hand experience with the flagship sedan, which is aimed at “confident, independent thinkers who actively seek out new products and unique ideas from up-and-coming brands”.
“I was a Kia K900 driver and fan before we decided to become partners, so I'm really excited to be Kia’s first-ever luxury ambassador," says LeBron James.
"This partnership is about the power of great style and performance. Kia and the K900 are out to challenge conventional wisdom and show people how to think differently, and I can relate to that. For me, a partnership has to be authentic and real to who I am, and that’s what makes this one so special."
His admiration for the Kia surfaced in August, when James posted “Rolling around in my K900. Love this car!” online with photos of the sedan, which US automotive research organisation AMCI Testing recently certified as ‘Quieter, Smoother, and Better Riding Overall than the Audi A8 4.0T, the BMW 750i and the Lexus LS460’.
LeBron James joins the ranks of other top sports stars who have become brand ambassadors for Kia, including fellow NBA All-Star Blake Griffin, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal and US Women’s Open golf champion Michelle Wie.
In addition to its brand ambassadors, Kia is also associated with a number of high profile sports events around the world, such as the Australian Tennis Open, the FIFA World Cup, and in 2015 it will be backing the FIFA U-20 World Cup tournament here in New Zealand.