Tag Archives: NBA

Hasbro relaunches sports collectibles brand Starting Lineup

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Hasbro has announced a partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) for the highly anticipated re-launch of Starting Lineup, an iconic sports collectibles brand.

Launching this autumn in partnership with Fanatics, the global digital sports platform, the Starting Lineup brand will feature legendary NBA superstars as part of its first wave of figures and will be available for pre-order starting September 22 exclusively on Hasbro Pulse and across the Fanatics network of online sites, including Fanatics.com, and official league stores. The Starting Lineup collectible will also include an exclusive, officially licensed Panini NBA trading card.

“The NBA and NBPA are tremendous partners for the return of the Starting Lineup brand, and we cannot wait for fans to experience some of the biggest names in the league as action figures,” says Eric Nyman, President and COO of Hasbro. “The return of one of the most beloved sports collectibles brands of all time would not be complete without the inclusion of fan-favourite NBA superstars.”

The revamped Starting Lineup brand will continue its legacy of bringing fans and collectors their favourite athletes in action figure form but with design like never before in a highly articulated 6” scale.

“We look forward to the relaunch of Starting Lineup in the coming months as we meet the excitement of our fans and additionally introduce a new generation to these collectibles,” says Brian Keegan, Head of Trading Cards, Memorabilia and Hardgoods at the NBA. “Through our partnership with Hasbro, these figures provide our fans a unique opportunity to build upon their connection to our game and their favourite players.”

“We are thrilled to be partners with Hasbro and Panini in relaunching this iconic brand,” adds Inky Son, VP of Licensing for THINK450, the innovation engine of the NBPA. “Working together, we hope to continue to reimagine the possibilities for sports collectibles and action figures while also amplifying our collective players’ profiles on these platforms.”

The original Starting Lineup brand developed a massive following for more than a decade by bringing sports enthusiasts figures of their favourite superstar players accompanied by a trading card, and the introduction of notable NBA players will be the first of an all-new era of major athletes joining its classic heritage. Hasbro is also working with OneTeam Partners, a Washington, D.C.-based firm, on the athlete and creative marketing campaign.

For more information on the upcoming launch of the Starting Lineup brand, visit Hasbro Pulse | Where Fans Come First.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the estate of Bruce Lee collaborate on social justice campaign

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Former NBA star and social justice champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has formed a new collaborative partnership with the estate of Bruce Lee. The partnership, presided over by Iconomy LLC, will kick off with the release of a limited edition t-shirt with the purpose of tackling systemic racism and fighting for social justice.

“We had an unlikely friendship – a 7 foot 2 basketball player and a 5 foot 8 martial artist – but we had a shared interest in music, the arts, philosophy, and improving the lives of people who looked like us,” said Abdul-Jabbar.

“We believe that tackling systemic racism starts with making a friends who doesn’t look like you and creating empathy for others. That’s what we’re hoping to promote with our social justice champion/social justice warrior efforts.”

Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee, added: “My father made martial arts an international phenomenon and made millions of friends who didn’t look like him along the way. This partnership is a tribute to his legacy and the inspiration he – and Kareem – continue to be when it comes to uniting our global community.” 

The partnership will be launched by Iconomy LLC and will kick off with the release of a limited edition t-shirt, scheduled to launch on November 27th – marking the 80th birthday of Bruce Lee.

“Iconomy, LLC is launching a ground-breaking partnership between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bruce Lee Family Company,” said Deborah Morales, CEO of Iconomy.

“A collaboration of this caliber – fusing sports, culture, and leadership – embodies the Iconomy mission of helping icons go from success to significance, and will open the door to more impactful partnerships.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the estate of Bruce Lee collaborate on social justice campaign

Posted on by

Former NBA star and social justice champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has formed a new collaborative partnership with the estate of Bruce Lee. The partnership, presided over by Iconomy LLC, will kick off with the release of a limited edition t-shirt with the purpose of tackling systemic racism and fighting for social justice.

“We had an unlikely friendship – a 7 foot 2 basketball player and a 5 foot 8 martial artist – but we had a shared interest in music, the arts, philosophy, and improving the lives of people who looked like us,” said Abdul-Jabbar.

“We believe that tackling systemic racism starts with making a friends who doesn’t look like you and creating empathy for others. That’s what we’re hoping to promote with our social justice champion/social justice warrior efforts.”

Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee, added: “My father made martial arts an international phenomenon and made millions of friends who didn’t look like him along the way. This partnership is a tribute to his legacy and the inspiration he – and Kareem – continue to be when it comes to uniting our global community.” 

The partnership will be launched by Iconomy LLC and will kick off with the release of a limited edition t-shirt, scheduled to launch on November 27th – marking the 80th birthday of Bruce Lee.

“Iconomy, LLC is launching a ground-breaking partnership between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bruce Lee Family Company,” said Deborah Morales, CEO of Iconomy.

“A collaboration of this caliber – fusing sports, culture, and leadership – embodies the Iconomy mission of helping icons go from success to significance, and will open the door to more impactful partnerships.”

Bit Fry Game Studios scores NFL Players Association partnership for its latest video game push

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Bit Fry Game Studios has struck up an agreement with OneTeam Partners and the NFL Players Association to bring an officially-licensed football game to the studios’ growing line-up of sports videogames.

The games developer already incorporates select NFL players into its existing arcade action NHL-licensed hockey game Ultimate Rivals: The Rink, and its upcoming NBA-licensed basketball game, Ultimate Rivals: The Court. With the NFLPA license, Bit Fry will enable users to play on the virtual gridiron with superstar athletes from across hockey, basketball, baseball, and soccer, alongside a select roster of NFL players.

The agreement grants Bit Fry the right to feature the names, numbers, images, and likenesses of nearly 2,000 current NFL players in an arcade action football game. OneTeam, the NFLPA’s group licensing representative, facilitated the deal.

“Bit Fry is the leading studio in the arcade-action sports segment and is thrilled to be bringing the NFL players into the Ultimate Rivals universe with another play-book shredding, category defining title that gives football a video-game treatment unlike any seen before it,” said Ben Freidlin, CEO and founder of Bit Fry Game Studios and the creator of the Ultimate Rivals franchise.

“Fans of the franchise can expect the studio to remain dedicated to an exceptionally high quality experience, including all of the standard baseline ingredients of a Bit Fry game, such as 60fps framerates minimum, an unprecedented balance of approachable gameplay and high skill-cap depth, and industry standard-setting visuals and auditory aesthetics.”

Steve Scebelo, interim president, NFL Players Inc, added: “Bit Fry’s games continue to impress, providing opportunities for fans to create virtual team mashups while including the likes of Alex Morgan, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Trout and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

“As we look for new ways to connect with sports gamers, especially in today’s climate, this is an exciting development for fans and the future of gaming.”

“We are constantly exploring ways to innovate how athletes interact with fans across the ever-evolving games landscape, and this partnership with the NFLPA and Bit Fry Game Studios illustrates the creative potential that exists,” said Ahmad Nassar, CEO, OneTeam Partners.

Ultimate Rivals™: The Rink is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and will be followed by Ultimate Rivals: The Court. Bit Fry’s football game is scheduled for release in 2021, with platforms to be announced at a later date.