NBA and LeBron James Dive Deeper into Web 3.0, File for NFT Trademarks 

Web 3.0 is revolutionizing how sports teams and leagues interact with fans. On Monday, the NBA filed five NFT trademarks under ‘The Association.’ It covers a variety of virtual consumer merchandise such as game tickets, game programs, trading cards, collectibles, memorabilia, jerseys, scorecards, video games, audios, autographs, and downloadable multimedia, all authenticated by non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The NBA also owns two Ethereum Name Services (ENS) domains – nba.eth and the associationnft.eth, both of which belong to the league’s head of digital assets, Adrien O’Keefe.

Currently, the league’s partnerships include a Coinbase (COIN) sponsorship and cooperation with NFT platform ‘NBA Top Shot. Launched in October 2020, NBA Top Shot is an NFT marketplace that allows users to buy, sell, and collect influential NBA scoring ‘Moments’.

Lebron James Strives for Greatness in the NFT Space 

LA Lakers forward Lebron James is one the most famous athletes in the world and is widely condiered to be one of, if not the best basketball player in history. In March, James filed four different trademarks for virtual goods, virtual footwear, and trading cards, indicating his personal interest in NFTs.

A new trademark filed last week indicates that “The King” is looking to grow his brand through NFTs and the metaverse. Attorney Josh Gerber shared that James has filed for the phrase “Strive for Greatness” under three categories:

The first category for the brand includes non-fungible tokens and cryptographic tokens, while the second was clothing and apparel, and the third category includes language about NFTs as well as consulting services in the industry.

The filing reads: “Minting, creation, promotion and distribution of non-fungible tokens and cryptographic tokens,” and “consulting services in the field of minting, creation, promotion, and distribution of non-fungible tokens and cryptographic tokens.”

On the Flipside

• Besides the NFT drops, James will manufacture a variety of virtual experiences, such as playing on a virtual basketball court.