The Chicago Bulls aren’t merely moving their practice facility downtown. They’re changing the name.
Bulls president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf confirmed what an industry source told the Tribune, that the team is negotiating the naming rights to the self-financed facility scheduled to open for the 2014-15 season near the United Center.
One possibility, the source said, is Adidas, the shoe and apparel company that signed Derrick Rose to a $250 million contract last year. Reinsdorf and other front-office personnel met with Adidas officials in Portland, Ore., on the Bulls’ recent West Coast trip.
The team’s new building could be called The Adidas Center, the source said. The Bulls are also believed to be negotiating with other companies on the rights.
Team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf named the Berto Center after Sheri Berto, his longtime assistant who died tragically from undiagnosed internal bleeding following routine surgery in November 1991. A plaque honoring Berto sits outside the Deerfield building, which opened in September 1992.
Michael Reinsdorf said Berto’s presence will be prominently displayed in the new practice facility. Possibilities include a plaque or small bust honoring Berto.
kcjohnson@tribune.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
Bulls to sell naming rights for downtown practice facility
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Bulls to sell naming rights for downtown practice facility
