The forthcoming battle royale game "StrayShot" has inked a partnership with NBA stars LaMelo and Lonzo Ball, in addition to their family's fashion label, Big Baller Brand (BBB). This collaboration will feature the Ball family as NFT characters within the game, as unveiled by iBloxx Studios on Thursday.
Specifics about the LaMelo and Lonzo Ball NFT avatars will be disclosed post the game's official launch, as per the announcement. The PC version of the game, previously known as "0xBattleGround", is currently undergoing public testing. Domenik Maier, the chief executive of iBloxx, shared with Decrypt through email that while StrayShot might see a release in December this year, a launch in February 2024 seems more probable.
In the game, the NFT characters of LaMelo and Lonzo will sport military-themed gear combined with BBB-branded clothing, as informed by Maier and confirmed by visuals Decrypt had access to. The game studio has also expressed intentions to roll out Ball-themed NFTs outside the gaming environment, as per the recent declaration. However, the release date for these Ball NFTs remains under wraps.
LaVar Ball, the vocal patriarch of the Ball family and the brains behind BBB, will be featured as a game character. His spouse, Tina Ball, and their youngest offspring, LiAngelo Ball, who competes in the NBA G League, will also make their in-game appearances.
At 22, LaMelo plays as a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets and has earned a spot among ESPN's top 50 NBA players this year. His older brother, Lonzo, aged 25, is part of the Chicago Bulls' roster and has formerly played for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, a knee ailment is likely to sideline him for another season.
Though this collaboration may come off as unexpected, the Ball siblings are avid gamers. Lonzo enjoys video games like NBA 2K and EA's Madden football during his leisure, while LaMelo was known to engage in Halo sessions on his Xbox in earlier days.
Every in-game item in StrayShot, encompassing weapons, outfits, and distinctive playable characters, will be in the form of NFTs and will be logged on-chain once players acquire them, O’Holleran mentioned. Nevertheless, he emphasized that in-game purchases are processed in a manner that doesn't necessitate players to authenticate with their cryptocurrency wallets.
A single game on Solana is reportedly generating more daily transactions than the entirety of Polygon. Within StrayShot, players can earn NFTs that can later be traded, O’Holleran noted. Additionally, the game will introduce an ERC-20 token, which players can secure by participating in competitions.
Back in 2018, the BBB label associated with the Ball family encountered some turbulence when it was allegedly rated an "F" by the non-profit Better Business Bureau. Although its rating seems to have climbed to a "C+" presently, the organization continues to highlight a consistent series of complaints on its portal.
The brand underwent a reboot in 2020, and LaVar Ball stated in an interview with Barstool Sports that Big Baller Brand held a valuation of "a billion". As of now, Decrypt's GG hasn't received any feedback from the company addressing the issues raised by the Better Business Bureau or its alleged worth.
