Basketball is no longer only about the game. The NBA is increasingly intersecting with financial technology. Some players invest in Bitcoin, partner with crypto brands, and take part in blockchain projects, while teams integrate crypto-related services in their infrastructure. The question is why digital assets have become part of basketball’s financial reality.
Which NBA players invest in Bitcoin
For some NBA players, Bitcoin is viewed as a way to preserve capital. One widely discussed example is Kevin Durant. He started buying BTC back in 2016, when he was with the Golden State Warriors, and Bitcoin was trading in the $360 to $1,000 range. The story became public only recently after he temporarily lost access to the Coinbase account where the coins were stored. With help from the crypto community, access was restored and the funds were recovered.
Spencer Dinwiddie was among the first NBA players to speak openly about crypto. He started openly investing in Bitcoin and other digital assets in 2017, describing them as an alternative to traditional instruments and a way to protect his earnings. In 2019, he tried to tokenize part of his $34.4 million contract, but the league blocked the plan and it never moved forward.
Scottie Pippen has also embraced Bitcoin publicly. The Chicago Bulls legend regularly says he views BTC as the future of the financial system and often adds his trademark story: he claims Satoshi Nakamoto has “come to him in dreams” several times. In 2024, Pippen began actively buying Bitcoin and later launched his own blockchain project, Game5Ball, tied to the tokenization of the iconic game ball from the 1991 NBA Finals.
There are also practical examples tied to income. In early 2022, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala said they would receive part of their pay in Bitcoin through Cash App. For them, it was a way to diversify and convert a portion of earnings into an asset they viewed as long-term exposure.
Cryptocurrencies as part of the game
At first, crypto in the NBA was mostly a personal choice made by individual players. Over time, entire teams began to take notice. One of the best-known examples is the Dallas Mavericks. Team owner Mark Cuban allowed crypto payments for tickets and merchandise several years ago and said publicly that he views Bitcoin as a long-term asset, not a speculative one. The Mavericks became one of the first NBA teams to integrate crypto payments into their business model.
At the league level, the clearest symbol of crypto’s entry into the NBA was Crypto.com Arena, the home venue of the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2021, Crypto.com bought the arena’s naming rights for $700 million, turning the former Staples Center into the largest crypto-branded sports venue in the world.
Other teams followed with their own partnerships. Clubs began working with exchanges, blockchain platforms, and Web3 startups, using crypto to engage a global audience, support digital payments, and develop new formats for fan interaction.
Hype, mistakes, and caution
The NBA’s experience with crypto has included both success and painful setbacks. The collapse of FTX is the most telling example. In 2021, several major sports stars became ambassadors for the exchange, including Stephen Curry, who media reports said received an equity stake as part of a deal worth tens of millions of dollars. After FTX filed for bankruptcy, Curry became a target of criticism, with claims that he promoted the platform without making the risks clear enough.
That episode became a turning point. Players and teams started approaching crypto partnerships far more carefully, moving away from aggressive marketing and toward clearer and safer formats. Instead of pushing exchanges, the focus shifted toward educational initiatives. Instead of tokens with no real value, attention moved to Bitcoin as a long-term asset or blockchain as infrastructure.
LeBron James is a good example of this shift. He has never publicly said he owns cryptocurrencies, but in 2023 he partnered with Crypto.com on an educational Web3 program for students from underserved communities in Akron. The initiative focused on blockchain technology and digital skills, without framing it as an investment opportunity or promising quick profits.
From experiments to a new reality
The link between basketball and crypto is no longer limited to isolated experiments. For NBA players, Bitcoin has become a tool for long-term capital preservation. For teams, it is a way to participate in the digital economy and engage a global audience. For the league, it is part of a shifting financial infrastructure that is beginning to include digital assets and blockchain-based services.
Recent years have also shown that this space demands maturity and caution. High-profile failures such as FTX highlighted the risks and pushed the focus away from hype and toward practical value, education, and infrastructure. This is why Bitcoin and blockchain look more sustainable for the NBA than short-lived crypto trends, and why this relationship is likely to remain part of the sport for years.
