SLAM has partnered with Autograph, the Tom Brady-backed NFT platform that’s working with some of the biggest icons in sports and entertainment, to release a collection of NFTs that will launch this week on the DraftKings Marketplace. The collection will feature five different SLAM Logo Passes— “Soul on Ice,” “Kings Wear Crowns,” “No Luck Needed,” “Bayou Bling,” and “Up In Smoke”—that will provide collectors early access to future SLAM Cover NFTs, along with one-week early and 12-month free access to the forthcoming SLAM Digital Archive, which will feature digitized copies of every SLAM issue ever.
The Logo Pass NFTs will launch Tuesday and Thursday of this week, with “Bayou Bling,” “Up in Smoke” and “No Luck Needed” dropping Tuesday and “Kings Wear Crowns” and “Soul On Ice” dropping Thursday. The total collection will include 5,000 NFTs.
The SLAM digital archive will launch before the end of the year and feature full, digital copies of every SLAM issue from SLAM 1 (May, ‘94) to the most recent issue. Beginning in early 2022, every new issue of SLAM will be added to the archive on the issue’s newsstand date. SLAM Logo Pass owners will get access to this archive one week before regular paying customers, and will continue to have 12-month free access to the digital archive for one year. (The archive will only be accessible to SLAM’s print subscribers and Logo Pass owners.)
SLAM Logo Pass owners will also get early access to future SLAM NFT drops on Autograph’s platform, drops that will include NFT versions of both new and old SLAM covers. SLAM’s 300-plus cover collection includes some of the most iconic imagery in the history of basketball culture, and the cover remains a rite of passage for young basketball players looking to reach the next level of hoops superstardom.
“When we decided to offer NFTs as an expression and extension of our brand, Autograph became the clear choice as a leading provider in the NFT space with the clear connection to sport through Tom Brady and the other legends they’ve partnered with,” says Les Green, CEO of SLAM. “We look forward to creating valuable experiences for lovers of the SLAM brand and basketball culture.”
“This is just the tip of the iceberg for Autograph and SLAM,” said Ryan McMahill, Head of Creative for Autograph. “We’re excited to dive deep into the SLAM archive and bring their covers into this new world by creating engaging digital experiences never before seen in the basketball culture.”
Autograph has already released “Preseason Pass” NFTs featuring a star-studded collection of talent, including Brady, Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka, Tony Hawk, Simone Biles, Wayne Gretzky and Rob Gronkowski. The company will also be creating digital collectible content with entertainment company Lionsgate based on its flagship movie series.
