In partnership with

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Baseline!

If this newsletter was forwarded to you, make sure you subscribe so you get it straight in your inbox—I publish marketing and creator insights on basketball culture every Wednesday and Friday, and it's always free.

Let’s dive right into it…

NIL BLUEPRINT

This future number one pick is already moving like a Hall of Fame veteran, but it has nothing to do with basketball.

Most athletes wait until playing in the NBA to build their personal brand, but I already broke down how AJ Dybantsa is thinking two moves ahead in Part 1 of his NIL Blueprint.

He’s been building a massive audience with a content strategy tied to specific marketing channels.

Now, the consensus First-Team All-American is turning attention into assets, and he’s doubling down on that strategy before even entering the NBA.

He just debuted his signature logo while extending his Nike partnership.

But the real story isn’t just the design; it’s him owning the logo, as that gives him long-term leverage into ownable IP.

He also went back to his elementary school for his NBA Draft announcement, showing a commitment to building a presence in the community that helped shape his childhood.

Then, he co-founded the Ascend Classic charity golf tournament, creating a real-world platform connecting athletes and business leaders in the BYU ecosystem.

From content to audience building and now IP and community, AJ Dybantsa is building an infrastructure that’ll compound season after season.

His approach to his personal brand strategy feels more like a startup founder than a hooper.

With his rookie NBA season around the corner, I’m sure we’re still in the beginning phases of the AJ Dybantsa brand-building blueprint, and both on and off the court, he’ll be ready to win in any scenario.

Are you running your business on incomplete numbers?

Most small business owners have financials, but few have financial clarity. There's a real difference between books that are technically up to date and books that actually tell you what's going on in your business right now. When accounting is reactive — updated when there's time, reviewed at tax season — you lose visibility exactly when you need it most. You can't tell which clients are truly profitable. You can't spot a cash flow gap before it becomes a crisis. BELAY's outsourced accounting team changes that.

Download the Free Guide

FREE THROWS

Sharing the tools and resources that I’m using this week:

📲 Instagram Profile Optimization - The official @creators page on Instagram shared tips and best practices to optimize your profile, making it easier for your audience to find you.

🎙️ Wispr Flow - One of my favorite apps that saves me a ton of time, on both desktop and mobile, with its voice-to-text AI, which turns my speech into clear, polished writing across every application.

🌐 Stitch - Google launches their own vibe coding platform, stepping into the arena against established platforms like Lovable and Replit.

Turn Your Opinions Into Profit

Join millions of traders putting their knowledge to work on real-world events—from inflation to elections. Buy “Yes” or “No” shares and earn if you’re right.

No house. Peer-to-peer. Cash out anytime.

Get a free $10 to start. Claim it and start trading now.

Start Predicting Now

_{Trade responsibly.}

POST-GAME

Thanks for reading! Here are a few ways we can stay connected:

🤝 Partner With Me: I work with brands, athletes and creators across their brand strategy, digital media, creator programs, partnerships, and marketing growth. Interested in working together? Get in touch here.

📊 Be First: I’m building Future Blueprint Sports — the definitive discovery and intelligence platform for sports marketing and creator culture. Get early access today.

👋 Stay Connected: Enjoyed this newsletter? Share it with a friend or colleague. Also follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for more sports marketing and creator insights.

Thanks and see you later this week!

- Jeff Chen | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻