In partnership with

Welcome to Friday’s edition of The Baseline!

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

Let’s get right into it…

FAST BREAK

Here’s what you missed this week:

🌹 Derrick Rose opened his own family owned and operated flower shop in Chicago, with weekly fresh flowers dropping every Sunday.

👟 Tyrese Maxey and New Balance subtly hinted in his comments that he’s becoming the second New Balance Basketball athlete to receive a signature shoe, set to release later in 2026.

👑 Unrivaled and Sprite announced they’re running back the 1 on 1 Tournament with one winner being “Crown The One” and earning a grand prize of $300,000.

🗽 Nike Basketball continued its Book 2 journey by following Devin Booker from Phoenix to New York, as global hoops creator MK played some 1 v 1 games at a local Brooklyn event curated by 4thekill.

🎙️ Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are partnering with Sinclair AMP Sports to launch a new video podcast titled “Cousins” breaking down their iconic careers and the current state of hoops.

📚 The NBA continues their creator-led storytelling by highlighting how Jaylen Brown transforms his intellectual curiosity into a competitive edge as he’s having a career-best season with the Boston Celtics.

📸 Panini created a Player of The Game celebratory digital photo moment at Hoophall Classic with the country’s top high school athletes.

🏝️ Balling on the Beach, one of the country’s largest grassroots AAU tournaments, just got even bigger as they announced the first-ever girls' division, which will bring over 48 basketball courts and 12,000 youth athletes all under one roof.

👕 The NBA and Balenciaga announced a new Fall 2026 collaboration collection, including an assortment of luxury apparel and footwear.

🏀 New Balance Basketball dropped the best pick-up game ever as they reintroduced their athlete lineup of Cooper Flagg, Tyrese Maxey, Jamal Murray, Zach Levine, Darius Garland and Cameron Brink.

🤳 Dick’s Sporting Goods is opening up applications to join their 2026 Dick’s Varsity Team, the retailer’s social media ambassador program that includes a network of athletes, coaches, and fans that are all connected through their love of sport.

Help us make better ads

Did you recently see an ad for beehiiv in a newsletter? We’re running a short brand lift survey to understand what’s actually breaking through (and what’s not).

It takes about 20 seconds, the questions are super easy, and your feedback directly helps us improve how we show up in the newsletters you read and love.

If you’ve got a few moments, we’d really appreciate your insight.

Take the survey.

THE POINT FORWARD

This is the section of our newsletter where I point out one thing worth sharing with someone in your network—whether it’s a job, a resource, or just an idea or inspiration.

Forward this to someone who still doesn’t understand the power of storytelling:

If you learn one new skill this year, master the art of storytelling.

The Future of Shopping? AI + Actual Humans.

AI has changed how consumers shop, but people still drive decisions. Levanta’s research shows affiliate and creator content continues to influence conversions, plus it now shapes the product recommendations AI delivers. Affiliate marketing isn’t being replaced by AI, it’s being amplified.

Download the full report

POST-GAME

Thanks for reading—I’ll see you back here next week!

And if you enjoyed reading today’s newsletter, please share it with one friend.

- Jeff Chen | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻