NBA names Masaaki Matsuzawa Chief Strategic Officer in China

Matsuzawa will be Responsible for Developing and Leading the NBA's New Business Opportunities in China

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has named Masaaki Matsuzawa Chief Strategic Officer and Head of Corporate Development in China. Matsuzawa will lead the development and execution of NBA China's strategic plan, explore, evaluate, implement and lead new business opportunities, and manage investor relations.

He will report to NBA China CEO David Shoemaker. NBA China Vice President of Corporate Development Gin Chao will report to Matsuzawa.

Matsuzawa joins NBA China from Goldman Sachs & Co. in Hong Kong, where he most recently served as Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division and Chief Operating Officer for Asia Mergers and Acquisitions, originating and leading the execution of cross-border M&A transactions throughout Asia.

Before this role, Matsuzawa held the positions of Co-Head and Chief Operating Office for the Asia Industrials Investment Banking Group. He joined Goldman Sachs & Co in New York as a Summer Associate in 2000, and rejoined the New York office full time in 2001, focusing on mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance in the Telecom, Media and Technology Investment Banking Group. His career started as a strategic consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton Ltd in New York.

"Masaaki brings a wealth of strategic planning, transaction and management experience, along with deep expertise in leading new business development that delivers significant growth," said Shoemaker. "His exceptional business acumen and proven success while at Goldman Sachs makes him a perfect fit to lead NBA China's rapid expansion across all business units."

Masaaki graduated with a degree in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and obtained his MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.

About NBA China

The NBA's entity that conducts all of the league's businesses in greater China was formed in January 2008 after its first office opened in Hong Kong in 1992. The NBA has interacted with Chinese basketball for decades, including first hosting the Chinese National team in 1985. The NBA currently has relationships with a strong network of television and digital media outlets in China, including a partnership of more than 25 years with national broadcaster CCTV. The league hosts hundreds of touring basketball events for fans, conducts community enrichment programs, and maintains marketing partnerships with a combination of world-class Chinese based corporations and U.S.-based multinationals.

Headquartered in Beijing, NBA China currently employs 117 people in four offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. NBA products such as apparel and footwear are available through various retail networks and on tmall.nba.com and nba.JD.com. In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to play games in China, with two games between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing. Following NBA Global Games 2013, the league has played 16 games in China since 2004.