Michael Jordan-Backed web3 Platform Launces It’s First Official Athlete NFT Collection Featuring Lonzo Ball

Posted on by Jack Marks

With the help of his son Jeffrey Jordan, legendary NBA star Michael Jordan founded HEIR, a platform that uses new technologies like web3 to create a community between athlete brands and their followers. Daniel George, a former Nike, FIFA, and Rakuten employee, and Jeron Smith, a former Nike, Sony, and White House Office of Digital Strategy Deputy Director, co-founded HEIR. Now they have managed to bring in Lonzo Ball and have launched his NFT.

Last year, HEIR raised $10 million in a round-headed by Thrive Capital. One of the platform’s top aims is to increase and retain connections with fans, particularly Gen Z and millennials.

Most NFT efforts aim to reach a younger audience and adapt to a changing technology landscape in some way. The company’s usage of athletes, as well as its affiliation with Michael Jordan, is expected to help it appeal to a younger demographic.

HEIR launches the NFT of Bulls star Lonzo Ball

In cooperation with iconic streetwear designer Don C, HEIR unveiled its first athlete membership NFT with Chicago Bulls player and HEIR investor Lonzo Ball. Ball’s NFT collection represents the first official athlete launch on HEIR. Owners of Ball’s NFT membership will own the digital art and gain insider access and utility by engaging with the players and co-creating content, goods, and experiences with them in real-time as the athletes establish their legacies.

Lonzo Ball NFT
Credits: HEIR

“HEIR is evolving and elevating the fan experience by offering an innovative athlete engagement platform through a unique membership model. The platform provides an entirely new way for fans across the world to become owners in Web3 as they are able to co-create new content, products, and experiences with athletes,” Ball said.

HEIR allows fans to join an athlete’s inner circle rather than merely purchasing digital artifacts of their favorite players. Ball‘s collection would include 4,200 NFTs, and given that he has 13.7 million Instagram followers, those 4,200 owners would constitute the top 0.03% of his fan base.