There is no denying the popularity of NFTs even as it is difficult to describe why NBA fans can’t get enough of them. I guess that just goes hand in hand with fandom, collectibles and emerging digital technologies.
The Detroit Pistons are getting in on the NFT game with the release of 890 NFTs across four series — championship rings, championship banners, collectible tickets and a special edition series.
Many of these exclusive NFTs will be released in a limited series of packs called Collector Boxes which each contain three of the exclusive non-fungible tokens.
The NFT auctions and Collector Boxes will be available to the public beginning Thursday, and fans can visit pistons.com/nft to learn more about the collectibles. The first drop of Collector Boxes is Tuesday, July 27.
Detroit Bad Boys will also give away the contents of one exclusive Collector Box to a fan through a new Discord channel being established by The Detroit Pistons and the NFT auction company. More details on the giveaway coming soon, and those will be announced on Detroit Bad Boys’ Twitter and Facebook accounts and in the Discord channel.
These digital renderings commemorate historic moments throughout Pistons history including key games in each round of the team’s championship runs in 1989, 1990 and 2004.
The NFTs range in rarity from the ultra-rare championship rings to more common items like championship banners and game tickets.
The Pistons are also adding a little old-fashioned tangible fun to the digital collectible game for those who get exclusive NFTs or gather sets of NFTs. These include VIP events, physical replicas of the championship rings, meet and greets with a member of the team and tickets to games.
The Collector Boxes can be purchased for roughly $300 or digital collectibles can be purchased at auction.
If the release proves to be a hit with fans and the NBA continues to embrace NFTs, the plan is for future drops and more enhanced benefits, according to I Got It, the technology firm behind the NFT release and auction.
I Got It has previously partnered with franchises including the New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers.