The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), the labor union for members of the elite US basketball competition, has revamped its commercial business with the establishment of a new brand platform, PLYRS UNTD.
PLYRS UNTD replaces Think450, the previous for-profit B2B licensing and business development arm, and will manage commercial partnerships concerning the collective name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for its members.
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The NBPA says this will include striking licensing agreements, merchandising, social media and digital content, player and brand collaborations, investments, fan experientials, and more.
This will be activated through the NBPA’s ‘Lifestyle Player Image Library’, which brands can leverage for marketing purposes.
Speaking on the announcement, NBPA president Fred VanVleet (a current member of the Houston Rockets franchise) commented: “I am excited to be a part of an organization that’s truly aligned with the vision and values of NBA players.
“PLYRS UNTD was born out of our desire to own a piece of the ecosystem we built, and we intend to bring fans to a side of the business that truly reflects player culture.”
David Kelly, incoming managing director and general counsel of the NBPA, will serve as the chief executive of the PLYRS UNTD business arm.
On the establishment of the new brand, Kelly added: “The launch of PLYRS UNTD marks a turning point in how we view our business footprint.
“Instead of just renting out player talent to the league and teams, we’re operating as the enterprise itself, using our unified voice to build equity and drive the market.”
Kelly was elected to the role of managing director back in February, after a stint of over 12 years at the Golden State Warriors franchise, where he held several roles, including chief legal officer and chief business officer of the Golden State Entertainment venture.
The PLYRS UNTD brand launch follows a May partnership between the NBPA and digital media business Enjoy Basketball, which sees the latter leverage the over 500 NBPA members for lifestyle content.
The NBPA has also opened a new training facility in Los Angeles, California, exclusively for member players,
