Lebron James is set to join a growing list of celebrities jumping on the NFT bandwagon. The L.A. Lakers forward was seen filing four trademark applications for NTFs and virtual collectibles.
The filing was pointed out on Twitter by trademark attorney @KondoudisLaw. It was not immediately clear when, and on what platform the collection will be launched. CoinGape was unable to immediately reach James for a comment.
The 37-year old basketball star is no stranger to the crypto world. Earlier this year, he appeared in a Superbowl spot for crypto.com , seen interacting with his younger self.
Digital collectibles featuring James are also already available on the NBA’s officially licensed “Top Shots” marketplace, which is operated by Dapper Labs. Last April, a top shot featuring a slam dunk by James sold for $400,000, Yahoo Sports reported.
Growing number of celebrities venture into NFTs
James’ foray into NFTs will see him join a growing list of celebrities and artists in the space. On Tuesday, music producer SIA revealed she was an active participant on NFT marketplace OpenSea, under the pseudonym Bianca_de_Medici. The artist also has a twitter handle under the name with over 18,000 followers.
Rapper Snoop Dogg had released an NFT collection last year featuring memories from his early years. Socialite Paris Hilton released a Barbie-themed collection that sold for $1.1 million, while rapper Eminem raised $1.8 million through a giveaway. Tesla owner Elon Musk has also been an active participant in the NFT community, recently rumored to have purchased a Bored Ape NFT for 600 ETH.
The growing celebrity involvement highlights a boom in NFTs since 2020. The value of the NFT market surged to $24.9 billion in 2021, from $95 million in 2020, according to data from Dapp Radar.
While their momentum appears to have slowed down in 2022, NFTs appear to have become a mainstay in the crypto community. The growing popularity of the Metaverse has also boosted the concept of digital ownership espoused by NFTs.
