🔊 More Lawsuits For Steph Curry

Plus: Kevin Porter Jr's Web3 Project, Jack Got NFTs & Heisman Celebrates With A New Drop

December 18, 2022

Welcome to The Hype Report where we break down the latest news, stories & happenings around sports & web3.

Announcements, Plugs & Updates 🔌

The World Cup Final is taking place today at 10 am est. Gotta give a major shoutout to Argentina and France for making it to the Grand Finale!!

Btw this is the last newsletter that's going out until the New Year. So wishing you happy holidays and a safe NYE!

Here's What You Need To Know This Week 📝 

  • Warriors' Stephen Curry Gets Caught Up In BAYC NFT Lawsuit

  • Rockets Kevin Porter Jr. Launches Web3 Project To Engage Fans

  • Soul Machines Partners With Jack Nicklaus To Launch An NFT Collection

  • Caleb Williams Celebrates Heisman Trophy Win With An NFT Drop

Let's Dive Into It... 🤿

Warriors' Superstar Steph Curry Among Celebrities Named In BAYC NFT Lawsuit

Recently, it seems like Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry can't catch a break between the Warrior's NBA record (10th in West currently), injuries, and now lawsuits.

This past week he was mentioned alongside several other celebrities that were named in a class-action lawsuit against the creators of the NFT company Bored Ape Yacht Club.

Other celebrities mentioned include:

  • Justin Bieber

  • Madonna

  • Kevin Hart

  • Snoop Dogg

  • Jimmy Fallon

Not bad company to be in if it was under different circumstances.

The complaint claims that most of them were recruited by talent manager Guy Oseary, and that the celebrities were discreetly paid for their endorsements through the crypto firm Moonpay.

The lawsuit also says the brand relied "heavily on the perception that 'joining the club' (i.e., buying a BAYC NFT)" would bring buyers status and provide them with benefits, access to events, and "other lucrative investment opportunities exclusive to BAYC holders."

Curry is also a defendant in a class-action lawsuit against FTX, who just filed for bankruptcy in November.

CEO Sam Bankman-Fried resigned after his assets plummeted from $16 billion to essentially... nothing.

Bankman was recently arrested on more charges than a mob boss including wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy, and money laundering 😮‍💨

The defendants in that lawsuit, unfortunately, include other athletes Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The Ultimate Fan Experience from Kevin Porter Jr. and the Power of Web3 Technology

Kevin Porter Jr, the up-and-coming young star for the Houston Rockets is building SUKUTA to bring the power of web3 technology to his fans.

With SUKUTA, the goal is to utilize blockchain tech to offer fans unique opportunities and experiences.

It’s also a community for like-minded individuals to come together and share their passion for hoops.

Fans can receive exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content, special prizes, and rewards. SUKUTA is also helping to bolster KP's personal brand, which will entail limited-run collectibles of various types, sponsorships, and global brands.

Think of SUKUTA as an all-access pass that will take fans behind the scenes into the universe of Kevin Porter Jr.

As a member of the platform, fans have the chance to become part of KP's inner circle so to speak, where they can experience what it’s like to be part of the journey with a top-tier athlete (utility is key 😉)

He'll be working with his community to curate all sorts of experiences where fans can meet and engage with him in person and online, from gaming events and camps to charity gatherings and more.

As Porter evolves, there are also plans in the works to celebrate his personal milestones and achievements with community members.

It will be interesting to see SUKUTA take shape as it's a unique blend of community, engagement, and rewards.

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Soul Machines Launches Jack Nicklaus NFT Collection Where Owners Can Receive Videos From ‘Digital Jack’

Artificial Intelligence company Soul Machines has partnered with Nicklaus Companies to launch an 18-token NFT collection of Jack Nicklaus, one collectible for each of his record-setting 18 major golf championship victories.

The tokens will be sold on the NFT platform Aspen and allow owners to access perks such as:

  • Signed memorabilia

  • Exclusive Jack Nicklaus merchandise

  • VIP access to tournaments such as PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament and Jack Nicklaus International Invitational

NFT owners will become founding members of the Golden Bear Club, a new NFT membership program from the 82-year-old Nicklaus.

Each of the 18 NFTs will also include a video from Digital Jack, the autonomously animated digital version of a 38-year-old Jack Nicklaus at the peak of his golf career that Soul Machines launched earlier this year.

Fans can ask "Digital Jack" specific questions about how he would play a particular hole on a specific golf course or questions about his upbringing, family, and career.

The voice technology they use is completely synthetic AI voice technology. So essentially [Digital] Jack can speak in Japanese to his Japanese fans for the first time, or French to golf fans in France.

Soul Machines analyzed archived footage of Nicklaus to create his visual digital twin with motion capture technology to replicate his likeness, voice, facial movements, and mannerisms.

Pretty cool but still kinda freaky if you ask me 🥴 

Caleb Williams Celebrates 2022 Heisman Trophy Win With an NFT Drop

To celebrate USC football star Caleb Williams winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy, the NFT platform Hall of Goats is releasing exclusive NFTs around Williams' name, image, and likeness.

The company dropped 10,000 limited-edition Caleb Williams NFT avatars on December 13th each piece priced at $30.00 USD.

Owners of the Caleb Williams NFT avatars will have access to a variety of fan benefits which include:

  • Access to HoG’s upcoming video game

  • Access to AMAs with Williams

  • Exclusive merch drops and more

A portion of the proceeds will go to Caleb Cares which is Williams’ foundation dedicated to eliminating bullying 👏

Fans are able to purchase an NFT avatar exclusively on hallofgoats.com.

Hall of Goats Is The Future Of NFT Gaming

In case you haven't heard, Hall of Goats is paving the way for NFT gaming.

Founded by 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, former USC player Greig Carlson, and recent Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, the company is on a mission to assist athletes in capitalizing on their NIL rights using NFT technology.

Holders of the players' NFTs have the ability to use their NFT avatar in their upcoming video game.

The beta is set to release in 2024 and will include unique features for players to enjoy.

It's a free-to-play game and will enable holders to collect the best college football stars, level up their players, and compete in an arcade-style football game.

The game will also contain a marketplace where users can buy, sell and trade their NFT avatars.

Additionally, the HoG game will bring in other notable college current and former football stars for players to use in-game.

Some of these athletes include Braelon Allen (Wisconsin), Deuce Vaughn (Kansas State), Matt Leinart (USC), and several others.

Quick Hits

The 2022 FIFA World Cup saw many partnerships between web3 brands and companies selling NFTs to create long-lasting memorabilia for sports fans. Will it continue in 2023?

Web3 Sports prediction app Maincard and Myria are joining forces to expand the appeal of NFTs.

Signing out for this week. See you in the new year.

Also, would love to hear your thoughts about this week's newsletter. Anything I missed?

Have a great rest of the weekend,

Malcolm

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not financial or business advice. The information shared is my thoughts & opinions and does not represent the opinions of any other person, business, entity, or sponsor.

The contents of this newsletter should not be used in any public or private domain without the express permission of the author.

The contents of this newsletter should not be used for any commercial activity, for example - research report. consultancy activity, paywalled article without the express permission of the author.

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