It was revealed this week that Hello Kitty is actually not a cat. While this might not be a big deal for most, for whatever reason Hello Kitty has been tied to the NBA a lot. The recent news is a nice opportunity to explore the odd connections between Hello Kitty and the NBA.
For context, this is what happened to shake up the world of Hello Kitty this week. In a column by Carolina A. Miranda of the Los Angeles Times, Sanrio — the Japanese company who created Hello Kitty — revealed that their character was actually a human and not a cat:
When Yano was preparing her written texts for the exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum, she says she described Hello Kitty as a cat. “I was corrected — very firmly,” she says. “That’s one correction Sanrio made for my script for the show. Hello Kitty is not a cat. She’s a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend. But she is not a cat. She’s never depicted on all fours. She walks and sits like a two-legged creature. She does have a pet cat of her own, however, and it’s called Charmmy Kitty.”
I grew up with Hello Kitty everything and all I have to say is, MIND BLOWN.
Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings heard the news and reacted on Twitter:
Just found out Hello Kitty isn't a cat. Can't go on man. Changes everything. ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/G2aUx4JRFN
— Ben McLemore (@BenMcLemore) August 28, 2014
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As you see in the photo, McLemore — like many rookies — will often get hazed by their teammates and one routine is to have them wear embarrassing backpacks in public. In this case, a Hello Kitty one.
This is not the first time an NBA player has been tied to the popular Japanese character. Several years ago, Jeremy Lin visited Taipei with David Lee. The two wanted to play a late night pick-up game but needed to avoid the mob of fans waiting outside Lin’s hotel. They managed to sneak out by having Lin wear a giant Hello Kitty mascot head:
The NBA also signed a sponsorship deal with Sanrio last year to distribute Hello Kitty apparel. These are some of the items that can be found at the NBA Store:
Show off ur "Super Cute" NBA pride with @HelloKitty team tees available for women & girls https://t.co/b1OmYH6Wxk pic.twitter.com/FIsjKnIWhU
— NBA Store (@NBASTORE) August 8, 2013
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The Hello Kitty sports phenomenon isn’t just sweeping the NBA. The New York Yankees, one of the most esteemed franchises in North American sports history, have given into the merchandising pull as well. This was a photo from a game last week:
Hello Kitty is on hand as the #Yankees go for the sweep. pic.twitter.com/4KXqAQ99cc
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 24, 2014
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So, even though we got some shocking news about Hello Kitty this week, expect the character to pop up more and more in the future. It could be a rookie hazing incident, another player trying to sneak out to play basketball in the middle of the night, or simply a Hello Kitty shirt with your team’s logo on it.
What do you think?
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