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Welcome to this week’s edition of The Baseline!

Today we’re rounding up how every brand activated at the NBA Draft.

Let’s get started…

MARKETING BLUEPRINT

Getting drafted is one thing but owning the night is another.

Here’s how the biggest brands and newest NBA rookies showed up around the 2026 NBA Draft:

1️⃣ The #1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, was everywhere. Before the draft, he made his media rounds in the new-age podcast circuit, appearing on every relevant podcast (7PM In Brooklyn, Baseline Banter, Gil’s Arena, All The Smoke, The Breakfast Club. He had a custom suit designed by Kenzo and celebrated his moment with his partners Nike Basketball (with a voiceover by DMV legend Wale), Red Bull, Oakley and even the Wizards created a reactive asset to his viral Gunna reference.

👟 The sneaker brands announced their rookie signings, with Adidas Basketball adding Darryn Peterson, Mikel Brown Jr., and Karim Lopez to their roster; New Balance Basketball extending their partnership with Caleb Wilson; Reebok Basketball celebrating their two first-rounders, Daris Acuff Jr. and Nate Ament; and Puma Hoops signing Labaron Philon.

2️⃣ The #2 overall pick Darryn Peterson, heads to Utah with a new SLAM Cover, one of the top five richest rookie shoe deals in NBA history with adidas Basketball, and a storytelling moment with New Era, the official headwear partner of the NBA.

✍️ Topps capitalized on the moment having Keaton Wagner, Caleb Wilson, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Morez Johnson Jr., and Cam Boozer sign their first ever rookie cards on live TV during the NBA Draft.

💎 SLAM partnered with Google Search to drop some hidden gems with lottery picks Kingston Flemings, Caleb Wilson, Brayden Burries, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Isaiah Evans.

🕚 The #11 pick, Yaxel Lendeborg, is headed to GSW, and his team got creative with two partnerships: one for a custom suit with Express and the other with Peerspace to host his draft night after-party.

🧑‍🧒 State Farm, who partnered with Cam Boozer initially on an NIL deal while at Duke, extended their campaign partnership by celebrating his moment as he follows in his father’s NBA footsteps.

☎️ AT&T, the official 5G innovation partner of the NBA, helped share Tarris Reed and Karim Lopez’s intimate draft night moment when they heard their names called by Commissioner Adam Silver.

🏟️ Intuit, the software company that holds the official naming rights to the Intuit Dome (home of the Los Angeles Clippers), created a draft night moment with the team’s newest rookie, Keaton Wagler.

🏀 Wilson Basketball created commemorative golden basketballs featuring each lottery pick's name to welcome them into the Draft green room and officially mark their entry into the league.

🍔 DoorDash collaborated with NBA Experiences to host a DoorDash Lounge at the NBA Draft, allowing fans and guests to experience the excitement of being the top pick on draft night.

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Sharing the tools and resources that I’m using this week:

🇫🇷 Cannes Recap - I stumbled across this Cannes recap, which is a noteworthy read for breaking down the trends and conversations that were overlooked at the hottest (literally, re: the weather) business and marketing conference of the year.

📧 Owner’s Only - Weekly newsletter written by Jeff Frommer breaking down the intersection of influence, entrepreneurship and culture.

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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 later this week!

- Jeff Chen | 🏀💡👨🏻‍💻