Sports Media Report
The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), in celebration of its 30th anniversary, is teaming up with sports marketing collective HEARTLENT Group to re-fresh the organization’s visual identity. As part of the partnership, the creative team at HEARTLENT Group, led by managing partner and head of creative Elliot Gerard, is creating new enhancements for the organization, including a new primary logo.
HEARTLENT is also collaborating to design digital content promoting the NBRPA’s Legends Media & Entertainment platforms, including a series of custom animations showcasing previously untold stories about basketball luminaries like Charles Barkley and Alonzo Mourning. Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), is the multifaceted storytelling platform that is home to Legends Magazine, Legends Live digital series, and the Legends Lounge w/ Trill Withers and Hoop du Jour w/ Peter Vecsey podcasts, that bring the wide-reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars to life. Additionally, HEARTLENT will create unique designs for the NBRPA’s Legends Care initiative, which is the charitable arm of the organization offering programs and services that positively impact youth and communities both locally and globally. This includes a limited-edition Legends Care t-shirt that is available now until November 1 to Legends Care Tip-Off Campaign donors at legendsofbasketball.com/TipOff.
“HEARTLENT Group is the perfect partner to evolve and elevate our brand positioning due to the team’s extensive experience in the NBA as well as their genuine love for the game and top creative talent,” said Scott Rochelle, NBRPA President & CEO. “With the growth of Legends Media & Entertainment, the timing is ideal to re-fresh our visual identity and we are pleased to be joining forces with HEARTLENT Group on this endeavor.”
The new logo design incorporates both the history of the NBRPA as well as fresh design elements to display both the physical and cultural aspects of the sport. Utilizing graffiti artwork, the basketball inside the logo includes meaningful imagery like handprints to signify the players who have left their mark on the game, retro sneakers to symbolize the history and culture of basketball, x’s and o’s to stand for what players have accomplished on the court, and much more. A nod to the organization’s three decades of service, the logo also features a three-pointed crown.
“This new re-design of our logo is a fantastic representation of the historical and cultural aspects of the sport of basketball,” said Caron Butler, NBA Legend and NBRPA Board Director. “The design incorporates images that have been prevalent throughout the lives of the brotherhood and sisterhood that make up the NBRPA and highlights the growth and impact of our organization and the Legends brand over the last thirty years.”
“Our entire team at HEARTLENT Group is thrilled to be working with the NBRPA to showcase the storied organization in a new way while maintaining the utmost respect for its history and the legends of the sport it represents,” said Gerard. “Celebrating athletes is at the core of what HEARTLENT does and we feel honored to take on this important creative work with the NBPRA.”
Founded in 1992, the NBRPA serves former professional basketball players, supporting them in life after their playing days, and helping them to leverage their inspirational influence to promote and teach basketball in their communities.
HEARTLENT Group specializes in digital and social strategy and creative content. Led by managing partners Elliot Gerard, Jonah Ballow and Keith Stoeckeler, the collective utilizes a global creative team and has worked with professional and collegiate sports teams, professional sports leagues, major brands, and political campaigns including Rock the Vote and Biden Harris, among others.
To access a digital file of the new NBRPA logo and select still images from the first Legends Media & Entertainment animation featuring Charles Barkley, click here. To access the animation in its entirety, please follow @NBAAlumni on Twitter.
