The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has launched Plyrs Untd, a consumer-facing business brand that will manage NBA players' name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights, with details shared with Marketing Dive. This latest initiative by the union aims to turn the cultural influence of league players into marketing opportunities.

"We represent the most recognizable, inspiring, and sought-after athletes in the world, who have long lent their intellectual property and influence to build other brands," said Keisha Wright, senior vice president of partnerships at the NBPA. "Now it's time for us to flip the script and use that IP and influence to build their own brands."

Plyrs Untd will collectively leverage players' reach to collaborate with brands on fan experiences, licensing opportunities, merchandise, content, investments, and player-brand partnerships. The organization will also open the Plyrs Untd High Performance Center in Los Angeles this summer. Plyrs Untd effectively replaces the NBPA's previous B2B division, Think450.

"The launch of Plyrs Untd marks a turning point in how we view our business landscape," said incoming NBPA Executive Director and Plyrs Untd CEO David Kelly in a press release. "We are no longer just renting out player talent to leagues and teams, but operating as a business ourselves, using our unified voice to build asset value and drive the market."

The campaign launches following the New York Knicks' historic championship run and one day before the first round of the NBA Draft on June 23—arguably a peak moment for consumer attention on individual players. While players, teams, and the league already have existing brand relationships—most notably with sneaker brands—Plyrs Untd seeks to complement them while acting as a player-owned lifestyle brand.

"It's like a collaboration between any two brands—that's how we envision it," Wright said. "Together, we reach new audiences and deliver shared value."

As part of the launch, Plyrs Untd will debut a campaign called "Own the Game," featuring a hero video with more than twenty NBA players, including stars Stephen Curry and Jalen Brunson. The video was produced by Project 3 Agency, a company under Kendrick Lamar's creative firm PgLang. The video premiered at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The black-and-white creative spot captures athletes in gritty moments off the court, with the only basketball-related element being the sound of dribbling in the soundtrack.

"Different cities, different backgrounds, different stories, same love, no middlemen, no gatekeepers, only players deciding how what they create evolves, turning visibility into influence, reach into opportunity, and culture into something that ultimately benefits the players," NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving says in the voiceover.

Connecting Fans and Brands

Plyrs Untd aims to reach younger millennial and Gen Z audiences who watch basketball on social media channels, follow individual players more than teams, and targets culture-first basketball fans. Players' combined social media following totals 680 million—eight times that of the league.

"The league does a great job with the 48 minutes on the court. We're not trying to compete with them," Wright said. "We focus on the 23 hours and 12 minutes outside of that."

In addition to the video, Plyrs Untd will roll out a new visual identity, including a new logo—replacing the basketball icon with a geometric equation representing player strength. The logo was designed by creative consultancy studio The Troys. The organization will also establish a strategic content partnership with media brand Enjoy Basketball, showcasing players' perspectives on the game and off-court passions through original programming.

Combining its services for players and partners, Plyrs Untd will open a new training facility in Los Angeles in August. This 24/7 high-performance center will be exclusive to players and offer brands top-tier sponsorship opportunities.

As experiential marketing takes center stage again, Plyrs Untd is increasing investment in Plyrs House. Plyrs House is a co-created experience that allows brands to connect with the player community during cultural events. The experience debuted at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, with activations involving 10 players and brands such as NBA 2K, Maker's Mark, and Sony.

Wright explained that this experience showcases how Plyrs Untd seeks to offer relevance rather than reach, and collaboration rather than placement. The next event will take place in July during the 2026 NBA Summer League at MGM Resorts—an NBPA partner that opened its spaces to the organization—and has no briefing requirements.

"Working with our players is the difference between advertising around culture and truly embedding in it," Wright said. "Do you want to crash the party, or do you want to be invited?""