The National Basketball Association (NBA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and Dapper Labs, the leading consumer blockchain company and creator of CryptoKitties, today announced the development of NBA Top Shot, a new digital platform for basketball fans to collect, trade, and own some of the greatest moments in league history on blockchain.

“The NBA and its players are among the greatest heavyweights in global culture,” said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO of Dapper Labs. “Dapper Labs is proud to work with the NBA and NBPA to create an unparalleled digital experience for sports fans. Through NBA Top Shot basketball fans can engage with their favorite players, teams, and each other in entirely new ways. We use the latest in blockchain technology to create assets and experiences that are guaranteed limited edition and authentic, not to mention portable and permanent in a way nothing digital has ever been before.”

NBA Top Shot will feature a social experience built around digital collectibles as well as a complementary head-to-head game designed to create a fun, authentic and accessible fan engagement on blockchain. Like other sports games or fantasy brackets, fans who play the game are tasked with creating their ideal squad, but in this game, their rosters are built by acquiring live in-game moments from the NBA season. These moments, such as a Kevin Durant 3-point shot, or Joel Embiid dunk, which are acquired as digital collectibles or tokens, can then be either owned forever or used to compete against other players in online tournaments and leagues on-chain. By introducing innovative features and mechanics to the team-building experience, and simplifying the head-to-head gameplay, NBA Top Shot will offer a fun and compelling experience that is accessible to basketball fans of all ages.

“Dapper Labs’ innovation and expertise make them a perfect partner to introduce this groundbreaking game and what we believe will become coveted digital collectibles for basketball fans around the world,” said Adrienne O’Keeffe, NBA Senior Director, Consumer Products & Gaming Partnerships.

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“NBA Top Shot is an entirely new way for fans to connect with their favorite athletes,” added Josh Goodstadt, Executive VP of Licensing for THINK450, the commercial arm of the NBPA. “We believe blockchain technology creates a truly unique product that fans can collect, manage and engage within a fun environment, and we are excited to partner with Dapper Labs to introduce these groundbreaking digital assets to the NBA community.”

The NBA Top Shot collectibles experience is set to launch in the fall, with the game to follow in early 2020. For more information on Dapper Labs, its partnership with NBA and NBPA and the launch of NBA Top Shot, please visit nbatopshot.com.

SOURCE Dapper Labs, Inc.