NBA, WNBA and Southwest Airlines Renew Partnership

-- Expanded Community Initiatives Include Touring National Civil Rights Basketball Exhibition --

-- "Shoot For Hope" Program Benefiting Physically Ill or Disabled Youth to Expand to WNBA --

The NBA, WNBA and Southwest Airlines have expanded their marketingpartnership with a new multi-year agreement that will increase thecommunity outreach efforts of the three organizations to feature a newtour of a civil rights basketball exhibition and the expansion of the"Shoot For Hope" program to the WNBA.

Southwest Airlines has renewed it's partnership with the NBA andWNBA to connect with the leagues' fan bases. In addition, SouthwestAirlines will involve their Employees, their most important asset, intheir NBA programs.

"The NBA and WNBA partnership has been extremely valuable forSouthwest Airlines, and we are excited about this renewal and ourplans with the leagues," said Southwest Airlines Senior Vice Presidentof Marketing Joyce Rogge. "These leagues continue to present us withinnovative opportunities that connect our corporate principles ofspirit and pride directly with the passion of basketball fans."

"Southwest Airlines has proven to be a savvy marketing partnerwhose special brand of pride and humor demonstrates their ability tounderstand and connect with their Customers," said Heidi Ueberroth,NBA Entertainment Executive Vice President. "We are excited to renewand expand this relationship into new areas with meaningfulinitiatives that are true to Southwest's corporate culture andresonate with our fans."

The NBA and Southwest Airlines will conduct the first ever tour ofthe National Civil Rights Museum exhibition, based in Memphis, TN,titled "The Quest for Equality: African-American Pioneers in the Sportof Basketball." The exhibit, which traces the history ofAfrican-American athletes who sought to gain access and equality inthe sport of basketball, includes artifacts and historical informationdating back to 1891. The NBA and Southwest Airlines will bring theexhibit, which will travel during the 2005-06 NBA season, to four NBAcities that Southwest Airlines serves.

The NBA and Southwest will also expand the "Shoot For Hope"program, which debuted in November 2004, to include a regular seriesof events with the WNBA, as well as a 30-minute television show aboutthe initiative on NBA TV. "Shoot For Hope" selects young people whoare working to overcome health issues or physical disabilities for aspecial experience that includes an all expense-paid trip on SouthwestAirlines to an NBA or WNBA game. While at the game, the familyexperiences the VIP treatment including meeting players, an in-arenatour and special NBA and WNBA gifts. Last season, six familiesreceived NBA Shoot For Hope experiences which included meetings withShaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Mark Cuban andRick Barry.

As the Official Airline of the NBA and WNBA, Southwest Airlineswill also support NBA and WNBA media including NBA TV, NBA.com andadvertising on nationally-televised games.

About Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier interms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 60 cities in31 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than3,000 flights a day and has 31,000+ Employees systemwide.

About the NBA

Since its founding in 1946, the NBA has become a global phenomenonthat transcends national boundaries. With 30 teams in the UnitedStates and Canada, NBA games and related programming are broadcast to214 countries in 43 languages. The NBA is one of the largest suppliersof sports television and Internet programming in the world. ThroughNBA Entertainment, the league's award-winning production andprogramming division, the league produces NBA TV, a 24-hour televisionnetwork, weekly television shows, and exclusive content for each ofthe NBA's team web sites, and the league's official sites, NBA.com,WNBA.com and NBDL.com. The league has also continued its partnershipswith the leading Internet content and technology providers to bringthe game experience even closer to its fans worldwide. For moreinformation on the NBA, visit NBA.com.

About the WNBA

The WNBA tipped off its ninth season on Saturday, May 21, 2005under the leadership of new President Donna Orender. In 2004, for thesixth consecutive season, more than two million fans attended WNBAgames. Also in 2004, three consecutive WNBA Finals sellout crowdswitnessed the Seattle Storm defeat the Connecticut Sun to capture itsfirst WNBA Championship. WNBA programming is broadcast on ABC, ESPN,ESPN2 and NBA-TV. For more information, visit WNBA.com.

About the National Civil Rights Museum

The NCRM, located at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, theassassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, chronicleskey episodes of the American civil rights movement and the legacy ofthis movement to inspire participation in civil and human rightsefforts globally. The NCRM utilizes its collections, exhibitions, andeducational programs to acquaint new audiences with one of thegreatest stories of direct action, non-violent social upheaval in thehistory of our nation. For more information on the NCRM, visitwww.civilrightsmuseum.org