I just had a sweepstakes brought to my attention that should be of interest - HP and Microsoft are running a dv2 notebook computer campaign with an NBA prize package! Be sure to read to the bottom of this post, because there is more here than meets the eye – much more!
For the main sweepstakes: Visit the HP-Microsoft microsite, and click the button where it tells you to “enter for a chance to win”. You’ll have to give your birth date, and after verification you’ll be taken to an entry form.
Grand prize is a package which allows you to “see Kevin Garnett and the Celtics play a home game in Boston and an away game in a West Coast city.” The package will include “VIP tickets, airfare, hotel and great HP gear.” Winning this would be amazing!
The Grand Prize winner will be announced during NBA Draft 2009, and five other lucky winners will receive a Kevin Garnett autographed basketball.
When you enter, you’ll also have the option to subscribe to the HP newsletter and /or “NBA news and headlines, special fan alerts, merchandise and ticket discounts, [as well as] partner offers from the NBA.”
Time is of the essence, because the microsite and sweepstakes are only open until the end of the May; you just have 15 days left to enter!
Sounds pretty amazing, right? But wait…there’s more! 
Gear Diary readers have been selected, along with the readers from approximately two dozen other sites, for an exclusive incentive for entering the sweepstakes…
These exclusive prizes are as follows:
• 10 regulation basketballs, each signed by an active player of the winner’s choosing
• 2 trips to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas: includes travel, accommodations and tickets for two – one winner and one site owner (in other words, 2 bloggers will each accompany one of their readers to the game)
So yeah, in other words – if someone from Gear Diary wins, I’ll be going to the NBA All Star Game in Dallas with him or her…how cool is that?!
Now obviously there are fewer prizes than there are sites, so winners will be selected at random from among all the people who enter from each site.
And here’s the last bit: They are going to give me one $50 gift card for use at nbastore.com, which I will turn around and give to one of Gear Diary’s entrants specifically.
So to recap, there are three great prizes you can enter to win:
• The Grand Prize package – where you get to “see Kevin Garnett and the Celtics play a home game in Boston and an away game in a West Coast city.” The package will include “VIP tickets, airfare, hotel and great HP gear.”
• One of ten regulation basketballs signed by the active player of your choice or one of two trips to the 2010 NBA ALL-Star Game in Dallas. (You will be chosen at random from entrants on approximately two dozen other sites, so the odds are pretty darn good!)
• $50 NBA Store gift card
Here is how to enter to win one of the ten regulation basketballs signed by the active player of your choice or one of two trips to the 2010 NBA ALL-Star Game in Dallas (maybe with me!):
1. Enter the HP-Microsoft NBA Sweepstakes here.
2. Join Twitter
3. Follow Gear Diary on Twitter.
4. Tweet the phrase inside these brackets: [ I am entered to win an NBA / HP prize package @geardiarysite http://is.gd/Ab1m ]
5. Post a comment to this thread with a permalink to your tweet.
And that’s it!
I will choose a winner for the $50 NBA Store gift card from Gear Diary’s entrants, and those who post in the comments will be submitted to the pool for the random drawing with the entrants from the other ~two dozen blogs.
Good luck!
Is it bad that I really hope that a Gear Diary winner wins? I’ve never been to an NBA game… 
The Small Print:
1. All entries for all giveaways must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. PT on May 31, 2009
2. All giveaways are open to US Only. (sorry about that!)
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