San Mateo, CA – Dec. 18, 2019 (PRNewswire) Rakuten, Inc. has joined forces with SC30, Inc. and Limitless Creative Company on The Rising, a short documentary film on the explosive growth of basketball in Japan, capturing the intersection of the international sport with homegrown Japanese culture.
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Featuring appearances from several unique Japanese basketball enthusiasts and six-time NBA All-Star and two-time Kia NBA MVP Award winner Stephen Curry, The Rising makes its worldwide premiere today on Curry’s YouTube channel. The Rising can also be viewed worldwide on Rakuten Arena’s YouTube channel, as well as NBA Rakuten in Japan.
The Rising captures the underrated spirit in all of its subjects, following Curry in his journey through Tokyo as he seeks out the next generation of hoops influencers and players who embody the sport’s future in Japan. Along the way, viewers meet a basketball-obsessed artist, a street baller, the owner of a basketball store, and two young athletes with dreams of playing college basketball in the United States.
The documentary centers on the June 2019 Tokyo stop of the Underrated Tour, powered by Rakuten, where local youth athletes had the chance to meet and receive guidance from the Golden State Warrior star. Curry created the Underrated Tour, a series of youth basketball camps, to empower and mobilize basketball’s next generation of underrated athletes.
“The idea behind the Underrated Tour is simple: create a basketball camp for high school players who are looking for the chance to show scouts that their perceived weaknesses might actually be secret strengths — a camp for kids who love to hoop but the traditional camps are telling them they’re not enough,” said Curry earlier this year. Adding, “That was my story… I was repeatedly labeled ‘undersized,’ and ‘not a finisher,’ all these limitations spoken over me before I even came into my own. Underrated is going to change that and we are excited to bring the tour to Japan where we aim to usher in a new era of Japanese basketball.”
“We are pleased to partner with Stephen Curry and Limitless to shine a light on the growing popularity of basketball culture in Japan,” said Kristen Gambetta, Senior Director, Sports & Entertainment at Rakuten Americas. “In the past few years, basketball has grown from a niche community to become one of Japan’s most popular sports. Rakuten is proud to be one of the driving forces behind its popularization in Japan, through our partnership with the Underrated Tour, our global marketing and exclusive media distribution partnership with the National Basketball Association for all live games in Japan, and our presentation of Japan’s first NBA games since 2003, which brought the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets to Saitama for two pre-season matchups this October.”
The Rising joins Rakuten’s growing lineup of sports-themed entertainment vehicles. Matchday – Inside FC Barcelona, an official FC Barcelona TV documentary series following the world-famous soccer club and its players through the 2018-2019 season, premiered exclusively in Europe and Japan on Rakuten TV in November 2019. The company also produced Everyday Spartans, a reality series following eight ordinary people who transform their lives in a grueling, globetrotting adventure, in conjunction with Spartan Race, the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand. The first season of Everyday Spartans can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube.
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About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to approximately 1.3 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 18,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.
About SC30, Inc.
SC30 Inc. is the off-court presence of the two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA SC30 Inc. is the off-court presence of the two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA champion, Stephen Curry, across brand partnerships, media, investments and philanthropy. With a focus of aligning purpose and profit, SC30 Inc. exists to ruin the game across all aspects of their business, delivering unparalleled products, experiences, content and opportunities. Launched in 2018, the six-time NBA All-Star and founder set out to expand his footprint and impact beyond the game of basketball. Already an emerging figure in Silicon Valley, the athlete’s brand touts a number of direct investments in innovative consumer and enterprise technology companies, the newly-launched Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation with wife Ayesha, and award-winning media projects. Motivated to challenge the status quo, SC30 Inc.’s ultimate vision is to inspire families through purpose-driven, massive moments.
For more information on SC30 Inc., please visit us on online, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
About Limitless
Limitless Creative Co. is a full-service creative marketing agency offering next generation brand solutions fueled by a deep understanding of competitive landscapes, the evolving needs of diverse clients, and the latest technologies and trends that shape our culture. Rooted in consumer experience and understanding, and with a keen eye for emerging opportunities, Limitless Creative promotes innovation across brands with a story to tell, a feeling to evoke and the next generation to inspire. Founded in 2013, Limitless Creative is headquartered in Chicago and has locations worldwide. To connect, please visit www.limitlesscreativeco.com.
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