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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:

8️⃣3️⃣ Bam Adebayo shocked the basketball world by scoring a historic 83 points, which led to his Jordan Brand family immediately celebrating the moment on social media. The Miami Heat are also offering a special Adebayo 83 customized jersey for a limited time.

🚫 After much excitement and petitions from all sides of the basketball world regarding the Atlanta Hawks' Magic City game promotion, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver intervened and cancelled the promotion.

✍️ Ahead of March Madness, UConn’s Azzi Fudd signs with Jordan Brand. She was previously associated with Under Armour and Curry Brand through her official deal with Stephen Curry’s personal business entity, SC30 (Thirty Ink).

🐂 The Chicago Bulls partnered with Jesser, the largest basketball YouTube creator, to host the Bulls Kid Nation game, featuring a full day of youth programming and creator content.

🤘 Nike Basketball and Kevin Durant announced an NIL partnership with Texas women's basketball player Madison Booker, making her the first official athlete under Team Kevin Durant.

🏥 Jayson Tatum is officially back and his brand partners Jordan Brand and SoFi are celebrating and sharing his comeback story.

🏀 Cam Wilder announced his official 2026 RWE AAU Tour, teasing at a special July 23-26 moment in Phoenix, Arizona.

💭 Puma Hoops and Tyrese Halliburton launched a new campaign for the Hali One Halucinating colorway, where Tyrese discusses his previous Puma campaign and NBA return with a therapist.

👀 Reebok Basketball is teasing a new Communication One campaign launching March 18th with Tobe Nwigwe, Angel Reese, DiJonai Carrington, Matas Buzelis and Nate Ament.

🌎 Basketball Today creator Justin Leusner is on a tour to attend 30 NBA games, in 30 arenas, in 30 days, to raise $100,000 for Make-A-Wish America. He's already experienced two legendary moments: hitting a half-court shot at a Milwaukee Bucks game and being in the Miami Heat arena to witness Bam's 83-point game.

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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.

Ford, this is someone who is an emerging creative that's looking for hands-on experience and exposure to learn from a world class creative team.

Not directly related to sports, although Google has significant integration throughout sports culture, this is a great paid opportunity for young creatives looking to gain some real-world experience.

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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 | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻