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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:

🐍 ESPN shared an untold story of Jordan Brand’s original Air Jordan 19 Black Mamba marketing campaign, before Kobe Bryant adopted the iconic nickname.

3️⃣ Stephen Curry has officially narrowed his sneaker free agency down to three final brands, including ANTA. Meanwhile, Under Armour migrated nearly 500,000 Instagram followers from @CurryBrand to @UAbasketball.

🏡 Auntie Nae, Napheesa Collier and Jordan Brand’s roster of WNBA/Unrivaled athletes launched the Heir Series 2 sneaker at Dick’s House of Sport in Miami with a custom retail experience and an elite 3v3 girls high school basketball tournament.

🏀 Duke Dennis and Agent00 are officially the first streamers to join the Jordan Brand family, with the brand featuring the two creators during their NBA All-Star Weekend activations.

📚 Paige Bueckers has partnered with Coach on a new campaign in collaboration with Penguin Random House, focused on the power of storytelling.

⌚️ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has joined the Audemars Piguet family as an official Friend of the Brand, as the luxury watch manufacture continues to reinforce their connection with contemporary culture and craftsmanship.

🌍 Nike Basketball and A’ja Wilson are going on tour as they bring The A’ja Wilson Show to Paris, Amsterdam, London and Berlin from March 2nd-8th.

💰 SPIRE Academy becomes the first high school basketball team to have a jersey patch sponsor, as they signed a five-year $6 million deal with Venture HR.

🍟 Roc Nation and Prime Video have released the official trailer for "Meal Ticket," their new documentary chronicling the history of the McDonald's All-American Games, which will premiere on March 19.

👟 University of North Carolina guard Jackie Taylor collaborated with Kevin Durant on a pair of Nike KD 18 PEs designed to honor her father, the late Sean Taylor. Jackie and KD connected as KD is a lifelong Washington Commanders fan.

🎬 Netflix announced four new UNTOLD films premiering in March, including The Death and Life of Lamar Odom (revisiting the infamous night at the Love Ranch that nearly cost him his life) and Jail Blazers (revisiting the early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers team).

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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 needs to hear JAŸ-Z’s “Dead Presidents” streaming for the first time (not Dead Presidents II).

For marketers, JAŸ-Z’s 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt is a reminder that we can always tap into our archives to find opportunities to share old stories and celebrate new moments with our audience.

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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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻