As the NBA season revs up, teams are announcing new jersey designs and partnerships. The Charlotte Hornets will have one of the most unique partnerships in the NBA this fall. YouTube superstar MrBeast has agreed to a jersey patch partnership with the Hornets, the first between an influencer and an NBA franchise, the team announced on Media Day.
Feastables, a chocolate bar company operated by MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson), launched in early 2022. The company prides itself on making chocolate with organic ingredients and no artificial flavors. The Hornets' jerseys for the 2023-24 season will feature the Feastables logo, as shown off by LaMelo Ball, and the logo will also be on the uniforms for the G League and NBA 2K League affiliates.
LaMelo Ball enters his fourth season with the Hornets. This past summer, he signed a five-year, $260 million extension with the team. His talent and progression as a player compel the Hornets to invest in him as a franchise player. Thus, it is no surprise that Ball was picked to sport Charlotte's jersey to announce this MrBeast partnership.
The NBA has become more diverse with its partnerships. In 2017, the league featured a Nike partnership that had the Swoosh logo on all jerseys. At the same time, teams began to feature ad logos on their uniforms. Teams represented companies like Infor, Rakuten, and Zenni. Later, Bumble became a partner with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Now, the Charlotte Hornets are making history with the MrBeast pairing. The partnership is a signal of the NBA's intent to expand its league collaborations. Ball will likely not eat too much Feastables chocolate, but he does intend to feast on defenses when the NBA season starts.