Today, the Sacramento Kings, in collaboration with blanksoles, introduce “Laidback Lions” -- their newest iteration of limited Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Twenty unique Laidback Lions will be included in the genesis mint, which is set to take place today at 2 p.m. PT.
“We remain committed to enhancing the way in which we engage with our worldwide fanbase,” said Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “As the metaverse becomes a reality, we are excited to provide fans exclusive activations that have never been possible before.”
Laidback Lion tokens unlock membership in “The Jungle,” which includes experiences in both the physical and virtual world. Members will enjoy priority to special experiences, which may include access to Kings and Golden 1 Center events, exclusive gear and more.
Owners of genesis Laidback Lions will receive a member-exclusive hoodie and two premium seats to a Kings home game during the 2021-22 season, with food and drinks included. In addition, members will have the opportunity to join Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé for a pregame event this season and access to a private pick-up basketball game on the Sacramento Kings court in Golden 1 Center.
Genesis Laidback Lions will be available for approximately $500 and fans looking to purchase must have a Solana-compatible wallet. To learn more, visit Kings.com/NFT.
The Kings have been at the forefront of incorporating blockchain technology across the business. In July 2021, the team launched a digital collection of 85 NFTs depicting the 1985 commemorative pin given out in the Kings inaugural season in Sacramento and featuring exclusive experiences including 2021-22 Opening Night tickets. In addition, the team piloted the first-ever Smart Ticket NFT Experience Pass for 100 lucky fans during California Classic, NBA summer league games. In 2020, the team launched the NBA’s first Live blockchain-powered auction platform for authentic memorabilia with Consensys and Treum. In 2019, the Kings announced the NBA’s first blockchain-powered reward program in collaboration with Blockparty – an enhancement to the NBA’s first predictive gaming application, “Call the Shot.” Also in 2019, the Kings announced a collaboration with CryptoKaiju, creator of the world’s first vinyl toys powered by Ethereum and fully traceable on a public blockchain, to launch the first physical crypto-collectible in professional sports. In 2018, the Kings became the first professional sports team in the world to mine cryptocurrency and announced a charitable program, MiningForGood, that donates those funds to workforce development and training efforts in the community.
Additionally, the Kings were named the "most innovative company in sports" by Fast Company and “Most Tech Savvy Team of 2016” by Sport Techie and were a recipient of Sports Business Journal’s “Facility of the Year.”