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This Kia is everywhere these days, and the popular SUV just added another accolade to its resume. The 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro is now the official vehicle of the NBA. You can anticipate seeing a lot of this Kia sport utility vehicle as the NBA season 2022-2023 continues.

Catch the 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro in the newest NBA commercials

The 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro Is the Official Vehicle of the NBA
The 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro is the official vehicle of the NBA | Kia America Via YouTube

Advertiser David&Goliath whipped up a new campaign with the 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro and the NBA, according to Little Black Book. While Kia and the NBA aren’t new to each other, this partnership is just in time for the NBA season tip-off. In the new ad, a camera follows the Telluride through a neighborhood. David&Goliath says the driveway is the place where basketball and cars intersect.

The new Legends of the Driveway campaign celebrates 16 years of partnership with Kia and the NBA. Kia has been reflecting on the driveway as a place where fans and players first found basketball. The ad shows the 2023 Kia Telluride driving through various neighborhoods, all of which have basketball hoops.

A voiceover says a few phrases while the X-Pro is driving around, including “dunks over yesterday’s newspaper” and “free throws from the crack in the concrete.” At the end, the voice says, “Here’s to the Legends of the Driveway.”

Celebrate the start of the NBA season with the 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro

What makes the 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro worthy of this partnership? Introduced this year, the new X-Pro model adds more ruggedness and capability to one of the best-selling SUVs on the market. Now it can tow more (up to 5,500 pounds) and has higher ground clearance for off-roading. Continental all-terrain tires and downhill brake control help only add to its utility.

The standard Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) list is as long as an NBA season. Forward Collision Warning, High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist are just a few of the included systems. Kia’s Intelligent Speed Limit Assist system can help read signs and limit the speed of the Telluride without much help from the driver.

Plus, the 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro gets the exclusive 18-inch black wheels seen in the new NBA Legends of the Driveway ad.

Kia and the NBA go way back

Sports Business Journal says Kia’s partnership with the NBA started way back in the 2008-2009 season. Now, Kia is the official vehicle of the entire NBA playoffs, All-Star Game, Finals, and the NBA Draft. You’ll see a lot of the X-Pro during NBA season 2022-2023.

“Kia America VP/Marketing Russell Wager said the vision was to focus on something every fan watching at home can relate to — developing bonds with family and friends in the driveway and how we all can be legends for a day.”

Sports Business Journal

Kia’s ties to basketball don’t end there, either. The automaker has partnerships with 13 NBA teams: 76ers, Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Magic, Pistons, Suns, and more. Tara Mulcahy, NBA Head of Marketing Partnerships, said that Kia is “synonymous with innovation, which is where the league is laser-focused.” If people said the Kia Telluride SUV was too popular already, this NBA partnership certainly won’t make it less popular.

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