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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:

🗽 Jalen Brunson hosted an exclusive Guard Camp as part of the NYvsNY programming, as the KONY shared pro-level advice and worked closely with the next generation of New York hoopers.

🏟️ The NBPA's newest athlete empowerment brand, PLYRS UNTD, built its own performance center in Los Angeles, as they’ve now expanded their facilities to New York City, Los Angeles, and Spain.

🚨 Cleveland’s new WNBA expansion team announced their official name and branding as they introduced the Cleveland Sirens to the world.

🐍 Nike Basketball launched their Kobe 10 Protro campaign, “Mastery Lies Within,” ahead of the Halo colorway release on 8/23 and this weekend’s Mamba League Invitational in Los Angeles.

🥤 Paige Bueckers launched a dual collaboration with Gatorade and Nike Basketball to celebrate her favorite Shirley Temple drink with a GT Cut 4 PE and a limited edition Gatorade flavor.

🎮 NBA2K created the NBA 2K Market, an immersive activation to bring the game's locker codes into a real-world experience and celebrate Victor Wembanyama's cover in his hometown of Paris.

👽 Victor Wembanyama signed a long-term extension with Nike and also officially unveiled his new logo featuring the Swoosh.

🅰️ The legendary ABCD Camp, originally founded by Sonny Vaccaro in 1984 and run until 2006, was just brought back in Phoenix, Arizona, spearheaded by Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady and adidas Basketball.

📕 Devin Booker continues the trend of athletes and creators launching their own books with the release of a collaboration with Rizzoli Publications titled "In My Shoes: Hardwood to Concrete."

🏀 The NBA and Nike Basketball have launched a new docuseries, "Air Time: Road to Peach Jam," which chronicles the journey of this season’s premier EYBL circuit.

🦵Millionaire tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist Bryan Johnson, also known for his Netflix documentary "Don't Die," has started a new series in which he attempts to dunk a basketball for the first time at 48 years old.

💤 A'ja Wilson's college teammate and Atlanta Dream guard, Allisha Gray, has her own "Slept On" A'Two PE releasing at select retailers on August 15th.

⛹️ New Balance Basketball announced their Beantown Elite Showcase, featuring the nation’s best high school hoopers at their “Track at New Balance” facility in Boston.

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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.

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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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻