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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:

👟 70+ pairs of shoes from Stephen Curry’s Sneaker Free Agency will be auctioned for charity at Sotheby’s, with proceeds supporting his Eat. Learn. Play Foundation.

4️⃣ Sabrina Ionescu dropped this Tai Chi-inspired spot during her Nike Basketball China Tour as she premiered her new Sabrina 4 signature shoe.

3️⃣0️⃣ The WNBA is celebrating their 30th season with a new Raising Goats campaign, as the league also begins to preview exclusive merch drops under the WNBA Legacy Trail program.

🧩 The NBA has partnered with the crew of creators from Enjoybball for a series of alternate game streams and a trivia show that’ll debut on NBA TV and NBA App.

🦖 Ja Morant and Jurassic Park are teaming up for a Ja 3 sneaker collab, with Foot Locker activating a group of creators to announce the moment at Jurassic World inside of Universal Studios Hollywood.

💪 In a trend of NIL brand deals with personalities associated with March Madness (last year it was student manager Amir Khan), this year Underdog signed the viral “Final Boss” to a partnership right before the Men’s Championship Game.

🟩 To bring back March Madness NIL nostalgia, Kalshi Sports partnered with the first true Cinderellas of the NIL era, Doug Edert and DJ Burns, for a series of content at the Final Four.

🅾️ Overtime Elite is transitioning to a full national prep league that will no longer operate its own teams or house players year-round (great breakdown on the league’s new format by @shakehoops).

👛 Natalia Bryant hosted an “Explore Your Story” panel in Los Angeles with Coach to share Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese’s inspiring stories.

🏀 Tracy McGrady is bringing back his OBL league with a crew of new coaches including Jaylen Brown, Quinn Cook, Vince Carter, John Wall, Jadakiss and other key leaders across basketball culture.

🎤 Sue Bird has been announced as an analyst for NBC and Peacock’s coverage of this upcoming WNBA season.

🇨🇳 J. Cole is on another side quest as he signs a pro basketball contract with the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the Chinese Basketball Association.

📺 Shaq and TNT Sports are launching the world’s first pro dunking cleave “DUNKMAN” that’ll have 24 elite dunkers compete for a $500,000 prize.

Know What Matters in Tech Before It Hits the Mainstream

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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 newly-built Draftballr platform to a basketball nerd whose obsessed with the upcoming WNBA and NBA Drafts.

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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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻