Verizon Wireless Customers Can Vote For The 2003 NBA Finals MVP From Their Wireless Phones

NEW YORK and BEDMINSTER, NJ — Verizon Wireless and the NBA are calling on all Verizon Wireless customers with two-way text messaging capable phones to vote — and have it count - toward selecting the MVP of the 2003 NBA Finals which begin on Wednesday, June 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET and air live on ABC. Along with NBA Finals MVP voting, customers will have the exclusive opportunity to vote wirelessly for the NBA.com "Fan MVP" of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals with results posted on NBA.com.

Upon completion of voting for the 2003 NBA Finals MVP Award, all fans that cast a vote via TXT ballot will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes with the chance to win a high-definition television and the latest Verizon Wireless phones and service.

To date, thousands of fans have already pre-registered for the wireless voting directly from their Verizon Wireless phones by sending the TXT message "MVP" to "N-B-A" (622) and hitting SEND. Fans can also log on and pre-register for the voting at NBA.com. Once the MVP candidates have been selected during each of the potential deciding games of the Conference Finals and Finals, the ballots will be sent directly to all pre-registrants' phones. Fans that do not have a chance to pre-register can send the TXT message "MVP" to "N-B-A" (622) from their Verizon Wireless phones during the game, or simply log on and cast their ballot at NBA.com. All votes received through Verizon Wireless' TXT Messaging and NBA.com will be calculated in real time and will count towards selecting the official MVP of the 2003 NBA Finals. Conference Finals voting for the "Fan MVP," with fans determining 100 percent of the vote, will be posted on NBA.com.

Verizon Wireless is featuring national television spots on the NBA MVP wireless voting.

Verizon Wireless customers can pay as they go for TXT Messaging $0.02 for each message received and $0.10 for each message sent, or select from bundled plans for $2.99 per month for 100 messages, $3.99 per month for 200 messages and $7.99 per month for 600 messages sent or received. Verizon Wireless Prepay service customers can also join the excitement - prepay customers with text messaging-capable phones can send and receive messages for just $0.05 each.

No purchase is necessary to enter or win. 18 years or older. U.S. resident. For official rules, including how to enter if you are not a Verizon Wireless customer, visit www.nba.com. Void where prohibited.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 33.3 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.

About NBA
With 29 teams in the United States and Canada, NBA games and related programming are broadcast to 212 countries in 42 languages. The NBA is one of the most popular and profitable sports or entertainment properties in the licensing world with NBA league and team products in stores across the globe, on the NBA Store on NBA.com, the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, and NBA City in Orlando. The NBA maintains 20 marketing partnerships with the most successful companies in their categories, seven of which are global partnerships. For more information on the NBA, visit www.nba.com.

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