ABA signs apparel deal with Florida firm

The American Basketball Association is nearing one of its major goals for the 2006-07 season—and it has nothing to do with on-court wins and losses.

Officials for the Indianapolis-based professional basketball league announced today they have signed a letter of intent with Miami-based International Apparel Group Inc. to create ABA Apparel LLC.

ABA Apparel will have exclusive rights to develop ABA on- and off-court licensed team apparel and retail merchandise.

“Because of the size of the league and our expansion into Mexico and Canada, we have been approached by many apparel companies. IAG is an outstanding company,” said ABA CEO Joe Newman.

Newman said IAG, a division of publicly traded Total Luxury Group Inc., is a perfect fit for the ABA.

“Their design team is extraordinary, they understand our league and its objectives, they have tremendous reach into the retail market and they are very knowledgeable about the sports apparel industry,” Newman said.

IAG has done work for shoe and apparel-maker Converse, the National Football League and NFL wide receiver Randy Moss.