NBA Executive on Top Shot: ‘We Believe in This Product in the Long Term’

There's been a lot of talk about NBA Top Shot, the highlights collectible by Dapper Labs that has now generated $300 million in packs and marketplace sales.

We wanted to hear about things from the NBA side, so we invited Adrienne O'Keeffe — the league's Associate Vice President of Global Partnerships — to sit down with us for a brief Q&A.

Rovell: You signed an agreement with little fanfare with Top Shot's parent company, Dapper Labs, in July 2019. Then all of a sudden, this season, it just exploded.

O'Keeffe: Well, it seems like it took off quickly but we've done a lot of work with Dapper since the agreement was signed. It launched quietly over the summer and gained a little momentum in the fall with the playoffs, but after this season started, it really began to take off. It has exceeded all our expectations and we are just trying to help with scaling up to accommodate demand.

Rovell: How much is this a collaborative project?

O'Keeffe: We select the highlights and deliver it to them. We won't have a Rising Stars game, but we will have Rising Stars highlight pack. We're also going to offer highlights from the All-Star Game in packs.

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Rovell: It seems like there's a desire for fans to really know the length of this deal because they have their money tied into it.

O'Keeffe: We can't comment on any terms but for people that buy now, it will always be on the blockchain.

Rovell: Can we expect to see exclusive videos shot by the NBA that could then be turned into a Top Shot moment?

O'Keeffe: Yes. We've discussed off-court content.

Rovell: There's been a lot of talk about creating utility for a Top Shot. What kind of ideas do you have down the road?

O'Keeffe: We are really excited about how to use the NFT blockchain to build a lot of extensions throughout the business, from giving opportunities to own unique moments while a fan is in the arena attending a game to linking it up with gaming experiences. We love what many fans have suggested.

Rovell: Fans are waiting for what's down the road. What can you tell us about what is to come with older highlights?

O'Keeffe: We believe in this product in the long term. We did one "Run It Back" pack from Giannis' rookie season (2013-14) and all we can say is we plan to release additional throwback packs in the future.