Steph Curry and Jalen Brunson are two of the NBA’s bona fide superstars. And a new initiative wants to further leverage their brands to help super-size its revenue.
The pair are well suited to help. Brunson, 29, just delivered one of the all-time great individual playoff performances in NBA history, delivering a first title in 53 years for the New York Knicks. Curry, at 37, is an NBA veteran with a profile to match. He recently signed a 10-year sneaker deal with Chinese firm Li-Ning.
Curry and Brunson have just starred in a new ad campaign directed by Kendrick Lamar’s creative agency, Project 3, for Plyrs Untd, the new commercial arm of the NBA Players Association.
The NBPA generates revenues of $300m annually through licensing, sponsorship and membership fees. That cash is then spent on administration, player initiatives, the NBPA foundation, and bargaining with the NBA itself.
But the union wants more. Plyrs Untd is their attempt to reframe themselves as a brand.
Speaking to Sportico, NBPA executive director David Kelly said: “Consumers do not know our brand, but consumers obviously know our guys, and our guys, probably more so than any other sport, represent culture in a different kind of way.”
The NBPA have said that licensing – in terms of the union’s deals with the likes of Nike or EA – will still account for the lion’s share of revenue, but Plyrs Untd wants to capture some of that value itself too.
The campaign involving Curry and Brunson, which is directed by Kyrie Irving and will debut at the Cannes Lions film festival this week, hopes to announce the formation of Plyrs Untd and drum up new business.
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