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FM AMCONSUL SURABAYA
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RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0264
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RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
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RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0147
RUEHJS/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0283

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000100 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/PD, EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP SCUL PREL ODIP KPAO ECON ID
SUBJECT: SURABAYA WELCOMES NBA TO INDONESIA 
 
REF: SURABAYA 79 
 
SURABAYA 00000100  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Surabaya played host to the first ever NBA events 
in Indonesia when Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers visited 
from August 22-25, 2008.  He participated in a press conference, 
tossed up the opening jump ball and presented trophies at a high 
school championship tournament, visited an orphanage, and 
conducted a skills clinic with high school boys and girls. 
After months of pre-visit hype, the Jawa Pos, Eastern 
Indonesia's largest newspaper, carried three straight days of 
front page, above the fold color pictures and articles 
documenting the NBA star's activities.  Thousands of fans 
attended the events and Granger said he was overwhelmed by the 
warm reception and accolades, admitting he was a little 
concerned before the visit about how an American would be 
received in this predominantly Muslim society.  Granger's visit 
highlights the impact of sports diplomacy and public-private 
partnerships in reaching diverse audiences.  End Summary. 
 
INDONESIA - RED, WHITE - AND BLUE? 
 
¶2. Deteksi Basketball League, a high school tournament run under 
the auspices of the Jawa Pos media group, sponsored Danny 
Granger's visit to Surabaya August 22-25.  The Consulate 
facilitated initial contact between Deteksi and the NBA, but the 
ultimate agreement was a private partnership that cost the State 
Department nothing, yet yielded huge dividends for America's 
image, particularly among young people.  Deteksi is a 
youth-oriented section of the Jaw Pos newspaper, Indonesia's 
second largest daily.  From the moment the paper announced its 
agreement with the NBA, promotion for the events has been 
sensational.  Granger has appeared on larger-than-life 
billboards all over the city and the Jawa Pos became a 
self-appointed official supporter of Team USA Basketball at the 
Beijing Olympic Games.  Jawa Pos reporters traveled to Beijing 
to meet with Team USA , which was featured in dozens of stories 
leading up to and during the Olympic competition.  Player 
profiles and features were universally upbeat, depicting a 
positive image of U.S. basketball and the U.S. in general. 
Reflecting these positive images, Deteksi held a cheerleading 
contest in which the winning team -- decked out completely in 
red, white, and blue stars and stripes outfits-- looked like 
they had come straight out of a Fourth of July parade. 
 
YOUTH WITH DANNY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY 
 
¶3. The paper hosted Danny Granger, leading scorer of the NBA's 
Indiana Pacers, at a press conference shortly after his arrival. 
 Granger noted the participation of many high school and even 
some junior high reporters.  With its roots in the media 
business, Deteksi events always feature student journalism 
activities as an important component, and these students, along 
with the mainstream media, were given access to Granger during 
most of his time in Surabaya. 
 
¶4. The NBA star made his first public appearance tossing up the 
opening jump ball of the high school championship game crowning 
Deteksi's tournament.  A crowd of over 7,000,warmed up by 
Surabaya's Principal Officer joining dignitaries and celebrities 
on the floor for the National Anthem and pre-game festivities, 
chanted Granger's name and went wild when he joined the players 
on the court during a break in the action to show off some 
moves.  Fifty high school players, both boys and girls, got to 
see more of those moves up close and personal at a hands-on 
coaching and skills clinic conducted by Granger and retired NBA 
player Marty Conlon the day after the tournament finals.  About 
2,500 fans, players, and parents watched the clinic from the 
stands of the DBL arena.  Earlier that morning, Granger and his 
fiancie visited a Surabaya orphanage, where he played and talked 
with the children, and donated some school supplies as part of 
the NBA Cares program.  Along with commercial sponsors, 
consulate officers and government VIPs, about 100 high school 
kids were also invited to a farewell dinner in Granger's honor 
his last night in Surabaya before moving on to events in Jakarta 
(see Jakarta septel).  The Consulate participated in all of 
Granger's public events. 
 
MEDIA FRENZY 
 
¶5. All of these events, and even a trip to a local shopping 
mall, spawned extensive press coverage.  Dozens of color 
pictures and positive articles appeared all over the Jawa Pos, 
with Danny Granger pushing Indonesia's favorite son Barack Obama 
and Senator Joseph Biden at their first joint appearance below 
the fold on the front page.  In fact, the August 24 Sunday paper 
was proclaimed the "Danny Granger Edition" with his image 
 
SURABAYA 00000100  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
appearing next to the paper's banner and a full-color pull out 
section highlighting his visit wrapping around the front page. 
Other major Surabaya dailies also covered the visit with photos 
and stories.  Two local television stations featured daily 
reports on Granger's activities. 
 
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 
 
¶6. This visit was the first of a multi-year agreement between 
the NBA and Deteksi.  Plans call for expansion of the clinic to 
a full basketball camp next year and negotiations are under way 
to bring a WNBA player to Indonesia as well.  The popularity of 
basketball is mushrooming and the Deteksi tournament itself will 
grow to include five major islands and 10 provinces next year. 
When the tournament began in 2004, only Surabaya schools 
participated.  Danny Granger's visit both underscored and 
strengthened the positive image of U.S. basketball in Indonesia. 
 
 
¶7. Prospects for this kind of sports diplomacy, however, are 
certainly not limited to NBA stars, or even basketball.  A 
recent visit to the island of Sulawesi by a U.S. university 
women's soccer coach was met with tremendous enthusiasm even if 
not all the hoopla of the NBA.  Hundreds turned out to sports 
clinics and seminars she presented on the role of community 
youth sports programs.  This visit was financed with a PD grant 
to the Institute for Training and Development that also funded 
the visit of Indonesian representatives to the U.S. to observe 
youth sports programs.  Athletes manage to reach audiences where 
other initiatives rarely succeed, and American sports figures 
cut through barriers and come across in a way that traditional 
diplomats or other government officials simply cannot.  The 
goodwill they generate toward the U.S. and Americans, however, 
can be effectively harnessed to other PD efforts and 
private-public partnerships.  U.S. Consulate General Surabaya is 
looking forward to more NBA and hopefully WNBA visits next year, 
and seeks other creative ways to employ sports diplomacy 
initiatives and support public private partnerships. 
MCCLELLAND