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The Rising, Stephen Curry and Rakuten’s Documentary on Basketball in Japan, Premieres Worldwide on YouTube

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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.

Rakuten® is a registered trademark of Rakuten, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2019 Rakuten. All rights reserved.

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Rakuten: corp-media-inquiries@mail.rakuten.com

NBA Star Stephen Curry and U.S. Women’s Soccer Star Alex Morgan Join PGA Jr. League Ambassador Team

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Curry and Morgan combine forces with Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson as official Ambassadors for the growing youth golf program

Palm Beach Gardens, FL – Nov. 16, 2018 (PRNewswire) Golden State Warriors All-Star and two-time NBA MVP Steph Curry and Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Alex Morgan have been named the newest PGA Jr. League Ambassadors. Curry’s and Morgan’s new status was announced today at the 2018 PGA Jr. League Championship presented by National Car Rental at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., Nov. 16-19.

PHOTO/VIDEO LINKS (Permission language is located at bottom of release): Steph Curry and Alex Morgan: Photos | Video

As the first non-professional-golfer Ambassadors for PGA Jr. League, Curry and Morgan will leverage their widespread fan bases to promote the program to an audience that may not be familiar with the sport of golf. They join Ambassadors Rory McIlroy, Michelle Wie, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson, all of whom are committed to growing youth golf.

“Steph and Alex are incredibly popular, world-class athletes recognized well beyond their sports of basketball and soccer who love the game of golf,” said Jeff Price, Chief Commercial Officer for the PGA of America. “We are thrilled to welcome both of them to the PGA Jr. League team, where they will help us grow the sport with kids and families that might not be considering golf today.”

As Ambassadors, Curry and Morgan will be featured in national television ads as well as in collateral material supporting PGA Jr. League. They will also share their participation to their millions of followers on social media.

“There’s no better enjoyment than playing for a team and playing with a team,” Curry said. “You have that sense of accountability, that sense of fun, you’re meeting new people from all different walks of life and going towards one common goal. That’s what you can find when it comes to PGA Jr. League!”

“I know that as a little girl, I always wanted to be a part of a team and feel encouraged by my teammates and coaches,” Morgan said. “Being a part of PGA Jr. League gives girls and boys the opportunity to do what they love and be part of a team.”

PGA Jr. League has changed golf by bringing friends and families together around a fun and engaging co-ed team format. Boys and girls of all backgrounds and skill levels learn and play together with expert instruction and coaching from PGA and LPGA Professionals. Kids wear numbered jerseys and play on teams with friends, competing in a two-person scramble format that accommodates players of all skill levels. PGA Jr. League is now offered in two divisions: 13-and-under and 17-and-under.

This year, a record of more than 50,000 boys and girls played on 4,200 teams nationwide, up from 42,000 kids on 3,400 teams in 2017. Of those players, 81 percent were beginner or recreational golfers, demonstrating the developmental nature of the program and its inclusivity to youth of all skill levels.

In addition to his role as PGA Jr. League Ambassador, Curry will also partner with PGA REACH on an annual fundraising tournament. Proceeds from the event will benefit PGA REACH, the 501 (c)(3) foundation of the PGA of America, and the Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation. PGA Jr. League is the flagship youth pillar program of PGA REACH, with the goal of making the program accessible to all interested kids in the United States and around the world.

Through PGA REACH’s partnership with DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation and its Sports Matter grant, scholarships are available to players who meet financial need requirements or are from military families and apply for assistance through their Captains. The scholarship program launched in 2017 and more than 1,600 scholarships were awarded to players during the 2018 season.

PGA Jr. League teams for 2019 will be forming soon at golf facilities across the country. For more information about joining a team or finding a local participating facility, visit PGAJrLeague.com.

PHOTO/VIDEO USE:

Photos/Video must carry the credit Courtesy of the PGA of America. All photographs contained herein are the property of the PGA of America and are to be used solely for the purpose they were requested. They are not to be used in any other way unless express written permission is granted. Caption information can be found in the File Info field in Photoshop. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Carly Grenfell, the PGA of America photography contact at cgrenfell@pgahq.com or at 561.568.8430