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Welcome to the end of the week edition of The Baseline!

Every Friday morning, 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:

👑 LeBron pulled up to Nike's Global Headquarters and unveiled the LeBron 24, marking them as the lightest pair of LeBron sneakers ever.

🐐 One of the greats on and off the court, Russell Westbrook teamed up with Michael B. Jordan to narrate his museum-exhibit retirement video, announcing the end of his historic 18-year NBA career.

🧜‍♀️ The WNBA's newest franchise officially unveiled their name and team brand identity as the Cleveland Sirens.

🚙 Mercedes-Benz and LeBron collaborated on a Maybach S 680 design together, and the twin vehicle will be auctioned later this year, with proceeds going to the LeBron James Family Foundation.

🎨 Nike Basketball also partnered with a select group of artists at Mamba Invitational to celebrate Kobe’s legacy, including a couple of pieces by @typcollction to showcase the Kobe 10 Protro Mamba Invitational PE and a preview of the sole of an upcoming new Kobe model.

🇨🇳 The 1v1 trend has reached China, with NBA players like Paul George and Jalen Green touring the country and playing 1v1 games up to 100 points, while Kawhi Leonard finds the opportunity amusing.

🥤 Sabrina Ionescu pulled up to different neighborhood basketball courts in NYC with her Sabrina 4 Anytime, Anywhere slushy truck, inspired by her childhood memories of playing pickup games for slushy money with her brother.

🪪 The Dallas Mavericks offered a bounty to any collector who pulls the one-of-one Cooper Flagg debut patch autograph card; including two season tickets for 32 years, signed memorabilia, and a variety of VIP team experiences.

👟 Chevrolet and Nike Basketball are collaborating on a series of four Book 2 sneakers inspired by Devin Booker’s collection of vintage Chevy Impalas.

🐜 Official images of the adidas Anthony Edwards 3 have been released, showcasing the signature athlete’s evolution in his footwear collection.

✅ SLAM unveiled a new Nike Basketball collab sneaker collection that’ll be launching at their SLAM Summer Classic Vol 8.

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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.

Forward this to your NBA friends:

The NBA’s official 2026-2027 schedule has been released. Which games are you looking forward to?

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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 next week!

- Jeff Chen | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻