“Own the Game” Brand Film and Stills (Credit: NBPA)

- New Brand Debuts Alongside an Exclusive, 24/7 Performance Center in Los Angeles for NBA Players -

- PLYRS UNTD Launches “Own the Game” Film at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity; Kyrie Irving Narrates the Campaign Featuring 22 NBA Players, Including Eleven NBA All-Stars Headlined by Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns, and More - 

NEW YORK, June 22, 2026 – The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced the launch of PLYRS UNTD, a new commercial brand that transforms the collective influence of NBA players into products, partnerships, and global business opportunities.

PLYRS UNTD will operate as a consumer-facing brand that markets and commercializes the collective name, image, and likeness rights of the world's most recognizable athletes. The initiative turns players’ individual reach into collective leverage, working with brands and industry leaders to open doors for new fan experiences, global licensing opportunities, merchandise, content, player/brand collaborations, strategic investments, and more. The new brand will come to life at the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center opening in Los Angeles this summer as an off-season home for NBA players.

“I am excited to be a part of an organization that’s truly aligned with the vision and values of NBA players,” said NBPA President Fred VanVleet. “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.”

“The launch of PLYRS UNTD marks a turning point in how we view our business footprint,” said incoming NBPA Executive Director and PLYRS UNTD CEO David Kelly. “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.”

Key partners of PLYRS UNTD will have the exclusive opportunity to leverage its expansive Lifestyle Player Image Library for marketing purposes, alongside premier sponsorship opportunities at the brand-new PLYRS UNTD Performance Center. Additionally, PLYRS HOUSE, a co-created premium experience where players serve as the architects of their own activations, will be a cornerstone initiative showcasing how PLYRS UNTD shows up at cultural events around the world. It was designed to directly connect brands with each player’s highly engaged niche community in a carefully curated, elevated atmosphere. Its debut at NBA All-Star 2026 featured activations by 10 players. The next iteration of PLYRS HOUSE will take place at the 2026 NBA Summer League alongside NBPA Vice President Jaylen Brown and Kyle Kuzma.

Additional brand activations for PLYRS UNTD include our new strategic content partnership with Enjoy Basketball, a collaboration designed to highlight the players’ points of view on key basketball topics and showcase their off-court passions through original programming. By collaborating directly with a unified collective of over 500 players, PLYRS UNTD is building a robust global infrastructure for partners and co-creators.

The new business-to-consumer brand effectively replaces THINK450, the NBPA’s previous business-to-business arm.

New Los Angeles Training Facility

Unveiling this August in tandem with the launch of PLYRS UNTD is a new training facility in Los Angeles. Opening exclusively for players, this 24/7 performance center meets the high demand of the Los Angeles hub by allowing athletes to train on their own schedules in a state-of-the-art, player-owned environment. The design and development of the space was directed by players like Chet Holmgren, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, and Fred VanVleet to ensure the facility meets the exact needs of the modern player.

"Own the Game” Creative Campaign

Centered around its official tagline, "Own the Game," the PLYRS UNTD campaign empowers athletes and fans to take control of their value. The campaign short film was produced by Project 3 Agency and premiered at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The campaign features 22 NBA players, with the film's roster including 11 current and former NBA All-Stars—nine of whom are 2026 selections, including Deni Avdija, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, Jalen Duren, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Specifically designed to capture the athletes' off-court presence and showcase their collective power, the film employs a brooding, minimalist aesthetic. This tension is anchored by the rhythmic, echoing sound of a basketball moving through the hollow space. The film is narrated by Kyrie Irving, who personifies the campaign’s ethos of true player ownership.

Visual Identity and Social Media 

The new PLYRS UNTD logo replaces the traditional basketball with a geometric equation that signifies that collective ownership multiplies individual power. The visual identity reimagines fundamental strategy symbols – the “Xs and Os” – to signify that every player has a seat at the table. The underlying math is simple: together players don’t just add value, they multiply it. Visually, the logo features four seats around a shared center of power, anchored by an 'X' to complete the starting five. The core message is clear: ownership is not handed down from the outside; it is a structure the players build together.

The emblem was designed by the Montreal-based creative consultancy studio The Troys, whose decade-plus portfolio includes global brands like Nike, Puma, and Universal Music Group, and shaped by direct feedback from Jordan Poole.

The NBPA’s social media presence will also evolve. The current Instagram page will transition to @PLYRSUNTD, focusing on off-court storytelling about the entire membership through new original series including PLYR2PLYR and Rookie Talk. Additionally, the platforms will feature coverage from strategic content partnerships and behind-the-scenes access. Official union business—including CBA updates, legal matters, and statements—will move to a new account, @NBPAComms. The NBPA’s YouTube, Threads, and TikTok platforms will rebrand to @PLYRSUNTD, while X and LinkedIn will retain the @TheNBPA handle. The Top 100 Camp Instagram page will be rebranded as @PLYRSUNTDSelect, highlighting elite high school basketball talent and documenting the role of NBA players in developing the next generation, on and off the court year-round.

About the NBPA  

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to protect and advance the rights of our players. They are the game.

The NBPA Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members by supporting and assisting people, communities and organizations worldwide. It spotlights and amplifies the global initiatives of professional basketball players, driving positive change through community building, charitable endeavors and social entrepreneurship. For more information, visit www.nbpa.com and follow @thenbpa on social.

About PLYRS UNTD

PLYRS UNTD is the consumer-facing commercial brand of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), managing the collective name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for over 500 NBA players. At PLYRS UNTD, the more than 500 current NBA players collaborate as a group directly with industry leaders to channel their collective influence into global products, international group licensing, off-court content, and innovative fan experiences. Coming soon, you can find more information on www.PLYRSUNTD.com and follow @PLYRSUNTD on social channels.