The NBA legend is joining NFT Genius’s Ballerz for a one-of-one NFT auction with proceeds going to KultureCity.
Ballerz, NFT Genius’s eight-bit basketball NFT collection, is partnering with NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins on a one-of-one exclusive NFT with proceeds benefiting KultureCity, the company announced Wednesday.
In addition to 10,000 PFP NFTs divided into 44 fictional teams — 32 men’s and 12 women’s to closely mimic the NBA and WNBA — there are also roughly a dozen custom All-Star-level Ballerz for athlete partners like Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson.
Wilkins’ NFT — which looks just like him — will be auctioned along with several other lots, including Dominique-signed memorabilia, IRL experiences with the Atlanta Hawks icon, premium tickets to a Hawks game in Wilkins’ seats, exclusive custom Wilkins Sneakerz NFTs, tickets to KultureCity’s 2022 KultureBall, and a Dapper Labs NFT package including rare packs from NBA Top Shot, NFL All Day, and $1,000 in Dapper Funds.
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KultureCity, whose board Wilkins chairs, is the nation’s leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities like PTSD, autism, dementia, and effects brought on by stroke.
“It kind of was a marriage made in heaven, really,” Wilkins told Boardroom.
Wilkins has a daughter with special needs, but when he connected with KultureCity founder and CEO Julian Maha about five years ago, there were so many other things he learned.
“It’s a calling for me,” he said. “It’s something that I’m passionate about that I want to be a part of for a long time.”
The 62-year-old, nine-time All-Star and Human Highlight Film seriously started hearing about NFTs over the last 12-18 months and became amazed and fascinated with that whole world.
“I still haven’t fully figured it out, but I’m learning more every day,” Wilkins said. “It’s like a whole other universe ready to be explored.”
Whoever buys this Dominique NFT will have the Ballerz classification of an extremely rare All-Star — the rarest the company has minted to date. When NFT Genius considered Hall-of-Fame-level players for this project, Wilkins perfectly fit the concept of what the company was looking for.
“He’s the guy that represents the ethos and the spirit of our brand more than any other professional basketball player out there,” said Jason Metz, NFT Genius’ head of marketing and partnerships. “That’s why we looked at him from day one as the guy that we wanted to collaborate with.”
Ballerz is hoping to raise $50,000 from the lot of auctions for KultureCity, a meaningful cause for Wilkins and a charity-based model NFT Genius will look to replicate with other NBA stars past and present.
“This is a great opportunity for all of us to now understand for people with special needs, how important their lives are,” Wilkins said. “This just continues to shed light. And the most important thing is giving opportunities to people who don’t have opportunities to better their lives.”
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