The 3-on-3 metaverse basketball league will offer 10,000 unique Rumble Kong NFTs as well as real-life and digital merch.
Rumble Kong League, a gorilla-based 3-on-3 NFT metaverse basketball league, announced a $4.5 million fundraise on Tuesday, parent company Rumble League Studios said.
There will be 10,000 unique Rumble Kong NFTs that players can buy to compete in tournaments and leagues, with the ability to purchase in-game web3 fashion, arenas, and wearables. CAA Sports, which will serve as Rumble League’s strategic advisor, was joined by JDS Crypto, SkyVision Capital, Ideo CoLab, Victory Creative Group, Framework Ventures, and Animoca Brands as part of the funding round.
“Our goal is to provide a truly unique and memorable experience for sports fans within the Rumble Kong League,” said Marcus Bläsche, Rumble Kong League’s CEO. “NFTs and the Metaverse are making a huge impact in the gaming world and we aim to build the go-to sports ecosystem and push the boundaries of what is possible within the web3 space.”
The league has a slew of NBA players already on board, including Stephen Curry, Paul George, Andre Iguodala, Tyrese Haliburton, Cole Anthony, Josh Hart, JaVale McGee, Hassan Whiteside, Damion Lee, Gary Payton II and Malik Beasley as well as Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey.
Rumble Kong League will also partner with Curry and Under Armor on a special NFT activation on Dec. 21, celebrating Steph breaking the record for all-time 3-pointers made.
According to the Curry Brand site, there will be 2,974 Genesis Curry Flow NFTs , corresponding to his record-breaking triple. There will be five different versions of the NFT, which will be unlocked upon purchase and wearable in the metaverse. And 100% of net revenue, the site said, “will be donated to organizations that support access to sport.” The companies listed on the site as participating including Rumble Kong League, The Sandbox metaverse, Gala Games and Decentraland.
As for the $4.5 million raised, the money will go toward the league’s launch, which is expected to take place next year. Peter Robert Casey, JDS Crypto’s CEO, told Boardroom that he discovered the project via Twitter in August and saw that there was already a rabid community behind the project. But with Slam Magazine already in the JDS portfolio, this was the ideal intersection between sports, entertainment, and crypto.
“The next leg up in the NFT journey is all about utility and access for the community,” Casey said. “Rumble Kong League builds this into every aspect of their roadmap, from club formation to gameplay to real-life and digital merch drops. We are excited to be a part of this journey and help strengthen RKL’s vision.”
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