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Welcome to The Baseline!

I'm an 8-time NBA All-Star (with my first being in Orlando in 2012, where I'm coincidentally moving later this year) but I won't be in LA this weekend.

Instead, I’ll provide a full recap in next week's newsletters to share what happened across the industry.

For today, I break down what you missed in basketball culture across the latest in marketing and creator insights.

Let’s jump right into it…

FAST BREAK

Here’s what you missed this week:

👟 JuJu Watkins is the first athlete to co-create a design for a LeBron sneaker as she launched the NXXT Gen at a homecoming event at the Nike Watts community store to kick off All-Star Weekend in her city.

🤳 The NBA continues to lead as one of the pro sports leagues with a major creator strategy, as they will be working with over 200 creators who will be integrated into the entire ecosystem of NBA All-Star Weekend events, content, and media.

🇬🇷 While Giannis didn't make headlines during the trade deadline as he stayed in Milwaukee, he did make some significant off-court announcements as he became an investor in Kalshi, Chelsea FC Women, GoPuff and is launching his own candy.

🖌️ The NBA Crossover event is being visually curated by Joshua Vides as their first-ever artist-in-residence as he’s bringing his signature artistic style to the build-out and design of the activation space.

🧴 Kevin Durant's newest Cerave video has gone mega-viral with 40 million views in less than 48 hours (just on his post alone) but half the internet doesn't realize his legs are exaggerated, but the brand-moisturization is on point.

🏀 Ruffles partnered with trick shot creators Dude Perfect to announce the new flavor of their Cool Ranch Ruffles in collaboration with Doritos.

🔎 The Big 12 Conference is making history as they become the first official U.S. competition for both their Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments to use an all-LED glass floor court built by ASB GlassFloor.

✨ L.A.-based artist Victor Solomon is collaborating with Nike on a collection of gold-laced All-Star sneakers, including a Foamposite, Air Force 1, and Air Max 90.

👕 Kith announced their NBA collaboration for All-Star Weekend as they celebrate their brand's 15th anniversary with a selection of retro-inspired NBA team apparel and collections.

✍️ Reebok Basketball announces their signing of Aneesah Morrow of the Connecticut Sun and former LSU Tiger.

3️⃣ State Farm announced their creator and celebrity-led 3-point contest, featuring Druski, Lethal Shooter, Jake from State Farm, and others, which will be hosted at the NBA Crossover activation.

🌵 Topps is partnering with Travis Scott for an exclusive Cactus Jack Chrome NBA trading card collection that’s releasing only at NBA Crossover.

🎟️ Brands have started to share their All-Star Weekend events so if you’re in LA here are a few to check out: Converse: The Shai Lounge, Nike Basketball: The Shaw, New Balance at Lafayette Park, Puma x Fast & Furious Garage, adidas Basketball: The Showdown, Complex Market.

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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 someone who does NOT use AI everyday, as this viral Twitter article argues we’re in a “pre-shock” moment with AI similar to early 2020 before Covid:

With over 77 million views in less than 48 hours, this entrepreneur and engineer advises getting ahead now (especially for computer-based jobs, which are most at risk of disruption) by using AI tools daily, integrating them deeply into your workflow, and positioning yourself for the future.

My take?

Is AI advancing way faster than we anticipated?

Yes.

Is AI doomsday around the corner and taking over everyone’s job?

No.

Should you use AI everyday to help you become more efficient?

Yes.

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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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻