Nassau, Bahamas and New York, NY – February 13, 2019 – The Bahamas Ministry of
Tourism and the NBPA announce a sponsorship deal for One Court Bahamas.
Bahamas Tourism is pleased to have some of the most influential athletes in the world
vacationing and conducting business on the island. During their mid-season break, the players
will attend exclusive viewing parties, comedy shows and pool-side events. They will meet to
conduct important union business, addressing different issues around the NBA and exploring
solutions from the players’ perspective.
“We are a nation with a special love for the game of basketball, and we are ecstatic to roll
out the red carpet this weekend to the players of the NBA Union and their guests. The
Rosewood at Bahar has pulled out all the stops to ensure that this weekend will be
unforgettable for all” said The Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguliar.
“We’re so pleased that Bahamas Tourism has joined us as a sponsor for our premier player
activation,” said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts. “We know our players will be
excited to relax in this beautiful locale and enjoy the first-class hospitality of the island.”
About the Bahamas
Located just 55 miles off the coast of Florida, The Bahamas comprises more than 700 islands
and cays, including 16 unique island destinations. World-class fishing, diving, and boating make
The Islands of The Bahamas a favorite destination of families, couples and adventurers. Explore
all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com and on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
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 ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every
conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving
their goals -- on and off the court.
The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation
of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or
counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities.
In addition, the NBPA provides a forum for players to participate in union activities – including
executive leadership roles, team representative positions and global community outreach
initiatives. The NBPA offers each NBA player the opportunity to get involved in the democratic
institution that was created for, continues to exist for and is run by them.
Contact:
Rissie Demeritte rdemeritte@bahamas.com
Sr. Manager, Domestic Communications
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation
242-502-0835
www.tourismtoday.com | www.bahamas.com
Elle Hagedorn elle.hagedorn@nbpa.com
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications
National Basketball Players Association
212-655-0896
www.nbpa.com
NEW YORK, October 15, 2018 – THINK450, the licensing arm of the National Basketball Players Association, is pleased to announce that Payne Brown has been selected as its new President. In this role, Mr. Brown is responsible for providing strategic leadership, revenue management and generation opportunities for the organization.
“Payne’s extensive experience in finance, media, sports and law provide him with a truly unique set of skills and talents that will serve the NBPA and THINK450 well,” said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts. “In addition to his expertise in all of the areas that intersect with our business, he understands the needs of our players and the importance of their individual and collective brand management. Payne has proven his ability to lead and manage effectively throughout his career and I am confident that his vision for THINK450 will enhance its growth and measurable success.”
“While I am thrilled with what THINK450 has accomplished to date, I know Payne will bring the necessary experience and leadership to guide THINK450 through its next phase of growth,” said Chris Paul, President of the NBPA. “I look forward to working with Payne in identifying and developing the best possible opportunities for our members.”
Mr. Brown leaves his Managing Partner role at Econet Media Partners (EMP), where he focused on investing in and licensing content for distribution on the African continent. Prior to this he was Managing Director at Highbridge Principal Strategies (HPS) an alternative investment management organization that manages approximately $50 billion in capital. During his tenure there he led the firm’s investment into REVOLT TV, a multimedia platform founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. In 2014, while still balancing many of his duties at Highbridge, Mr. Brown served as the Chief of Staff to Dick Parsons, the interim “owner” of the Los Angeles Clippers. During this time, Mr. Brown was responsible for the day to day operations of the Clippers organization. Mr. Brown and Mr. Parsons successfully transitioned the team to its new owner, Steve Balmer for a then record purchase price of $2 billion.
Before joining HPS in 2012, Mr. Brown was Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and a corporate officer at Comcast Corporation. He received his J.D. degree from George Washington University and a B.S. in Management from Purdue University.
“I am excited to lead THINK450 into the next era of success” said Mr. Brown. “We represent some of the most powerful cultural influencers on the planet. This organization is poised to partner with incredible brands and create amazing content that showcases the athletes of the NBA in the most innovative and profitable way.”
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 ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving their goals — on and off the court.
The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities.
In addition, the NBPA provides a forum for players to participate in union activities – including executive leadership roles, team representative positions and global community outreach initiatives. The NBPA offers each NBA player the opportunity to get involved in the democratic institution that was created for, continues to exist for and is run by them.
About THINK450
THINK450 is the innovation engine of the NBPA, charged with creating disruptive and substantive business relationships for the most marketable athletes on the planet. THINK450 represents every current NBA player and works with leading companies and brands across all industries to help its members capitalize on growth opportunities in the content, marketing, technology, and licensing arenas – among others. For more information, please visit THINK450.com.
Contact:
Rakia Reynolds – rakia@skaibluemedia.com
Elle Hagedorn – elle.hagedorn@nbpa.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Nov 14, 2018 – ReadyUp, an esports and gaming platform for player connection, team management, and fan engagement, today announced a partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and its wholly owned commercial arm THINK450. In conjunction with the partnership, ReadyUp will launch an esports smart calendar that will act as the comprehensive source to find esports matches, tournaments, and livestreams that includes video game fan experiences and media events with NBA Players. NBA players will seed the calendar with their own game livestreaming events that gamers can either watch or join in and play. Gamers and esports fans will be able to access the smart calendar by signing up for the ReadyUp beta at www.readyup.com
“Eighty-five percent of NBA players play video games*. The NBPA and THINK450 partnership with ReadyUp gives our players an exciting new way to connect with their fans, based on their shared passion for video games and esports while creating new content and distribution channels for our business partners,” said Michele Roberts, Executive Director of the NBPA.
ReadyUp’s smart calendar connects fans with their favorite esports players, teams, and streamers globally by providing a guide linking directly to live events, online tournaments, and live streams. Users can discover and add events to their personal calendars either for specific games, players, teams, or organizations; additionally, users can invite friends, teammates, and fans and share the events across social media. Teams, leagues, publishers and others who want to submit events for publication may do so at events@readyup.com.
“ReadyUp is about bringing the gaming and esports community together,” said Roderick Alemania, CEO and cofounder of ReadyUp. “ReadyUp’s partnership with the NBPA and THINK450 reflects the mass market appeal of gaming and the intersection of traditional sports and esports. Our smart calendar is not only a complementary product to the partnership, it’s an opportunity to solve a major market need - the issue of fragmentation - by giving the gaming and esports community an easy way to find events across the entire industry, stay engaged with everything they want to watch, and never miss their favorite players and teams.”
Payne Brown, President of THINK450 says, “This deal with ReadyUp is indicative of the kind of innovative partnerships that THINK450 is excited to pursue. Our players have always been on the cutting edge when it comes to esports and we are eager to give them more access to interact with fans and gamers through ReadyUp.”
ReadyUp was founded to benefit amateur and professional gamers, teams, clans and fans. Incremental to the esports smart calendar for fans, a gamer database and discovery recommendation system will match players based on skill, playing style and compatibility helping players find teams and teams find players. Team management tools will enable esports competitors to efficiently manage their teams so they can focus on competition and player development. Additionally, gamers can monetize their skill and passion for gaming by creating content, offering coaching, training, or fan experiences in a marketplace, which will launch in 2019. ReadyUp is currently in beta, which gamers and fans can join at www.readyup.com.
About ReadyUp ReadyUp lets you find and meet gamers you like – and makes it easy to manage your team, stay connected with fans, and improve your game. A platform for player connection, team management and fan engagement for gamers of all levels, ReadyUp enables players to connect with teams and teams with players, compete against other teams more easily with the support of team management tools, and get better by accessing a global marketplace of gamer services (e.g. coaching, recruiting). ReadyUp’s founding team has deep roots in esports, games, and professional sports. The company is privately held. For more information, visit www.readyup.com.
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 ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving their goals — on and off the court. The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities. In addition, the NBPA provides a forum for players to participate in union activities – including executive leadership roles, team representative positions and global community outreach initiatives. The NBPA offers each NBA player the opportunity to get involved in the democratic institution that was created for, continues to exist for and is run by them.
About THINK450 THINK450 is the innovation engine of the NBPA, charged with creating disruptive and substantive business relationships for the most marketable athletes on the planet. THINK450 represents every current NBA player and works with leading companies and brands across all industries to help its members capitalize on growth opportunities in the content, marketing, technology, and licensing arenas – among others. For more information, please visit THINK450.com.
Contact: Jen McLean SVP of marketing jen.mclean@readyup.com www.readyup.com @ReadyUpCom
Elle Hagedorn Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications elle.hagedorn@nbpa.com www.nbpa.com
*Source: CNN
THINK450 is a pooled resource of thinkers, innovators, brand builders, strategists, storytellers, producers, advisors, influencers, and curators striving to create unbounded off-the-court lifestyle & culture opportunities for active NBA Players.
We have the most authentic connection and hold the master copy of I.P. to the 450 best basketball players in the world. Therefore, if you are thinking about doing anything within basketball culture or lifestyle, then you should:
Think Basketball. Think Culture. THINK 450.
We are status quo assassins who shoot for thinking and results that go beyond the expected , into a new realm of ideas and opportunities that are perceived by our collective to be more respected, while achieving results and outcomes that are positively unexpected.
In 2017, NBPA took its Group Licensing Rights back from the NBA. When a company wants to use:
THINK450 Grassroots basketball experiences include:
Think450 creates unique and innovative opportunities for sponsors to connect with the 450 such as:
There are millions of stories within the 450. The Content Group is charged with Developing, Producing and Aggregating:
Early Stage Venture & Real Estate Funds, and private label & consumer product opportunities.
For career opportunities, click here