WASHINGTON, D.C. – To celebrate the launch of the Washington Wizards’ non-fungible token (NFT) series, the team is paying homage to fans by creating a free limited-edition digital collectible artwork called “The Sixth Man.” The Wizards are the first major league franchise to offer the general public free NFTs authenticating team digital collectible art. Fans in the metropolitan area will be able to enter a scavenger hunt at various locations around D.C. for a chance to win a free limited edition NFT authenticating this original collectible. There will only be 500 of “The Sixth Man” NFTs created and made available to Wizards fans.
“We wanted to carve out this special opportunity to our fans in the DMV as a thank you for their loyalty and devotion to the team,” said Wizards Vice President of Marketing Rebecca Winn. “We are excited for them to have some fun with this interactive promotion and to see their reaction to an experience that is one of a kind in the NBA.”
The Wizards’ “Sixth Man” collectible authenticated by the limited edition NFT was designed by local artist/illustrator Naturel, whose art has included blended methods of Pop and Cubism with a Surrealist vison. Naturel and his work have garnered a strong following, with over 90,000 followers on his Instagram account. His talents have gained the attention of celebrity clients such as Macklemore and Swizz Beatz.
“We wanted to create an awe-inspiring experience for the city as a gesture of gratitude for all the love and energy the fans have given the team throughout the season,” said Naturel. “I chose to illustrate a starry night sky as a way to illustrate the wizardry that can happen when all the right stars align as they have with this project. The unique utility of NFTs made it possible to pass this experience along to the fans as a collectable.”
The Washington Wizards Starting Five NFT series will be on sale exclusively on OpenSea from July 12-14 and celebrates the energy and culture that makes the District so unique. To learn more on the Starting Five series and NFTs, fans can visit www.WashingtonWizards.com/NFT.