MUMBAI: The National Basketball Association (NBA) will launch the first-ever NBA 3X in India.

The free interactive event will combine basketball and entertainment to bring an unprecedented NBA experience to fans in four cities from 15 September - 21 October. The event will visit Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai and this will mark the NBA?s first event in Hyderabad.

NBA 3X, presented by Sprite, will feature a 3-on-3 basketball tournament with 400 teams expected to participate; performances from top musical artists or well-known DJ each day; and a variety of on and off the court activities for fans.

NBA India senior director of development Akash Jain said, ?NBA 3X presented by Sprite will combine NBA-style entertainment, 3-on-3 basketball, and music to engage youth and build our fan base in India. This is the largest fan program we have ever hosted in India and the wide range of basketball and lifestyle elements will provide memorable experiences for our fans.?

The 3-on-3 tournament will have two age divisions: 16-18 and 18-23 years. The winners in each city will be flown to Mumbai to compete in a National Championship on 21 October. The National Champions in each division will qualify to participate in a 2013 FIBA/NBA Asia 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

Seven-time NBA Champion Robert Horry and the Golden State Warriors dance team, the Warrior Girls, will be in Delhi to tip off the event from 15-16 September.

Horry, who played 16 seasons in the NBA for four teams, will also attend the Mahindra NBA Challenge Finals in Bangalore and conduct an NBA Cares event in Delhi with Love in Action -- a Delhi-based NGO which uses the sport of basketball to provide life-skills education to children from slums.

The musical artists and DJ?s performing include hip hop and Bollywood artist Hard Kaur; electronic and dance music duo VJ Nikhil Chinapa and DJ Pearl; singer Anushka Manchanda, past winner of Channel V?s music talent hunt search Pop Stars; along with two of India?s top DJs - Clement and Ajit (Goa).

NBA 3X will bring NBA-style entertainment to fans in India. Fans will participate in free contests and activities with the chance to win NBA merchandise. They can participate in basketball clinics, play NBA video games, measure themselves against cut-outs of NBA players, and interact with Horry and the Warrior Girls.

NBA 3X is being supported by adidas, HP, Spalding and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Sprite will send two participants from the national champion team in the 18-23 division to NBA All-Star 2013. These two participants may get a chance to be part of the global pool of players from which NBA All-Stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will select to be part of the Sprite Team Sudden and Team Intense competition during NBA-All Star 2013.

In addition, the first Sprite Basket Blast 2012 will take place in select cinemas across select cities in India from September through October.

Fans can purchase a Sprite Combo at participating cinemas to enter a lucky draw to get a chance to travel to NBA All-Star 2013. Four Winners will be selected and win trips to All-Star.

Adidas is supporting all participants with their best-in-class on-court jerseys and will also create an NBA Shop at each venue to showcase the latest NBA products. In addition, adidas will mark the return of the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose, of the Chicago Bulls, with the launch of an exclusive Rose collection and a series of activations to engage youth.

HP will create an interactive technology experience for fans visiting NBA 3X presented by Sprite. Fans can utilise HP products to access NBA.com, NBA social media, basketball training videos and create their very own NBA Avatar. Spalding will provide all basketball equipment.

Coca-Cola India director, integrated marketing communications Wasim Basir said, ?We are extremely pleased to announce brand Sprite?s association with the NBA 3X initiative. Sprite is an exciting and vibrant brand that has always maintained a meaningful connection with its consumers through engaging initiatives. We look forward to working together with the NBA to develop more innovative basketball experiences that will resonate well with our consumers in India and give them the opportunity to be closely involved with the sport."