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Welcome to The Baseline!

Every end of the week, I break down what you missed in basketball culture. 

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

Let’s jump right into it…

FAST BREAK

Here’s what you missed this week:

🏆 Mist Basketball Club won the 2026 Unrivaled Championship, but this custom Mist BC x Miller Lite beer can shoey isn't being talked about enough. There wasn't much sponsored content after the championship, despite all of Unrivaled's brand partners, but this is great earned and fun media for Miller Lite.

🪄 The Atlanta Hawks announced a Magic City night, and for those who don't know, it’s an iconic cultural institution (as described by the Atlanta Hawks). However, some NBA players, like Luke Kornet, are petitioning against the partnership.

🇫🇷 Nike Basketball and A'ja Wilson just premiered the new Nike A'Two sneaker to kick off the A'ja Wilson Show in Europe.

☘️ Jayson Tatum is officially returning to basketball, as he has been rolling out a new YouTube series, "The Quiet Work," which documents his recovery process. He is also sharing a new partnership with JOURNAVX, a non-opioid medication that helped him during his treatment.

🇬🇷 Giannis Antetokounmpo partnered with Huggies to make an impact for mothers and babies across the country, while also giving fans an early look at his new Nike Freak 8 sneakers.

👑 Timothée Chalamet recorded a live podcast episode of "Mind The Game" with LeBron James and Steve Nash, as the trio discussed his new movie "Marty Supreme" and the parallels between movies, sports, and culture.

🐜 Anthony Edwards received a fine from the NBA for a technical foul, and adidas Basketball was ready, immediately releasing a new ad for the AE2 to cover the fine.

⛳️ AJ Dybantsa continues to expand his NIL portfolio by giving back to his community through the first AJ Dybantsa Foundation Gala. He also announced a partnership with BYU golfer Kihei Akina to host The Ascend Classic, a private invitational event for leaders and innovators across sports and business.

🤖 James Harden partnered with the new AI startup Utopai Studios to create an AI video detailing his complete NBA story and journey.

🪟 Windex was named the official Glass Cleaning partner of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament, as the brand will be featured in immersive content on the official ASB GlassFloor throughout the event.

🏀 Angel Reese's brother, Julian Reese, made his official NBA debut, which was commemorated with an official NBA Debut patch on a one-of-a-kind Topps basketball trading card.

🗽 Pelle Pelle and the New York Knicks launched a new jacket collaboration, celebrating 75 years of the game with Max B, French Montana, Allan Houston, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart starring in the campaign.

☀️ Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia is offering $1 million to the winners of next year’s 3-Point Contest and Dunk Contest to attract top players back to the All-Star Weekend’s marquee events, which will be hosted in Phoenix.

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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.

Here’s an interesting read on Elon Musk’s plan for Twitter X Money, and how this Beta is already being rolled out.

The internet is changing fast, like very very fast.

From Web3 to AI, there seems to be constant innovation every day, and I think we’re approaching a world where social media platforms become our “everything app,” similar to WeChat in China.

How Jennifer Anniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads

The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Anniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.

Learn more

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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻