Recap: Purposefull Stories: How the NBA is Putting Their Community Center Court During COVID19

On this past Tuesday’s Purposefull Stories webinar series, 17 Sport cofounder Neill Duffy spoke with Todd Jacobson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility for the National Basketball Association. Their conversation centered around how the NBA is using their platform to address COVID19 through collaborations with partners and players.

The full video can be found below as well as some of the key learnings from the talk.

The NBA already had already laid the Purpose foundation.

No one could have expected what has happened during COVID and the global shutdown we have experienced least of all the NBA. But once it became clear that leagues, businesses and entire cities would have to close down, the NBA was able to pull their COVID plan together in just a matter of days. This was only possible because of the Purpose foundation they laid decades ago. In the early 2000s, then-NBA Commissioner David Stern made purpose a priority, and not just in the CSR department, but across all facets of the NBA.

Collaboration is key

The NBA surrounds itself by the best. On the court — the league boasts the best basketball players, and personalities, in the world. Off the court — these players are some of the most recognizable role models on the planet who speak out and champion important social topics. Add to that a roster of top brand sponsors and it’s clear the NBA has developed a thriving ecosystem which has positioned them not only as a great entertainment product but also a valuable community asset. When COVID19 struck, it was that ecosystem to which the NBA leaned on to collaborate and develop their response.

We would like to invite you to continue the conversation with us on our Sport 2.0: Slack Channel where we are bringing together the sporting community to discuss this topic and others like it.

For our French speakers out there, please register for our next Purposeful Stories webinar where we will be joined by Bpifrance Executive Director Patrice Begay. 17 Sport CEO and cofounder Fabien Paget will talk to Patrice about how to reinvent a sustainable model for #sport. Register here to make sure you don’t miss it!

17 Sport is the world’s first truly integrated sports impact company on a mission to build a positive future for the world through sport. We provide purpose led advisory, commercial and management solutions for brands, sports properties, athletes and non-profits wanting to manage their investments in sport in a more purposeful way. www.17-sport.com