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Welcome to this week’s edition of The Baseline!

Every Wednesday, I break down the blueprint for basketball culture.

This 3-minute read shares the latest marketing and creator insights across the industry.

Let’s jump right into it…

PRODUCT BLUEPRINT

Two NBA superstars just provided Gatorade with the best earned media moment of the brand's year.

But one of those athletes isn’t even supposed to be drinking it.

After Game 1 of the Timberwolves-Nuggets series, Anthony Edwards picked up a bottle from the postgame podium, examined it, took a sip, and delivered his verdict to the world.

"I f--- with this one."

A few hours later, Karl-Anthony Towns coincidentally had the same moment.

He eye’d the bottle, took a swig, and delivered a reaction that said everything without saying a word.

The product?

Gatorade Mashups: Glacier Cherry/Glacier Freeze.

This flavor has been available since late last year but only recently started appearing on the NBA press conference podiums during the 2026 Playoffs.

Here's where the marketing story gets really interesting.

KAT is a longtime Gatorade-endorsed athlete (under the PepsiCo parent company umbrella).

His reaction makes sense and was probably planned by the brand, as he’s been featured in Gatorade campaigns for years.

But Anthony Edwards is a Sprite athlete.

Sprite is owned by Coca-Cola, which is Gatorade/PepsiCo's direct competitor in the beverage industry.

Ant wasn't (contractually) supposed to be publicly endorsing this drink on a national stage but yet, there he was.

Ironically, this wasn’t the first time Ant-Man has made Gatorade go viral without being on their payroll.

A few times over the past couple of years, fans have caught him edging the Gatorade bottle while answering media questions.

He would repeatedly bring the bottle to his mouth mid-interview, pump-fake a sip, and pull it away, over and over again, without ever actually drinking from it.

The internet lost its mind every single time Ant’s done this.

Now add in the fact that Ant has casually name-dropped Popeyes and McDonald's in previous press conferences without holding deals with either brand, and a pattern starts to emerge.

The most powerful marketing in the world isn't paid for but it's earned organically.

And the biggest marketing lesson is that the answer sometimes lies in the product department:

Make the product so great, and the marketing takes care of itself.

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FREE THROWS

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

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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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻