The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the launch of ‘Nets for Change,’ a new campaign, aimed to repurpose discarded underwater fishing nets at basketball courts in India. The discarded nets, which pose a threat to marine ecosystems, are being repurposed as basketball nets at courts that are missing a functional net.
In collaboration with Publicis Communications, Middle East and Africa, the pilot project launched at a school in Mumbai with plans to expand to other markets. The league and Publicis are working closely with seaside communities in Mumbai to retrieve abandoned fishing nets, which are then transformed into basketball nets.
“The launch of ‘Nets for Change’ reflects our commitments both to environmental responsibility and to growing basketball across India,” said Murtuza Madraswala, Head of Marketing, NBA India. “Discarded underwater fishing nets pose a significant environmental threat, and through this initiative we will give these nets a new purpose, so that aspiring players have higher-quality courts where they can come together to play the game.”
The campaign aims to use the power of basketball to inspire fans and partners to minimize environmental impacts and help drive broader industry and societal progress.