LE SSERAFIM’s next project is a slam dunk.
The South Korean pop-group forges a multi-year collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to headline the league’s celebrity and influencer program in Asia.
Through the new “Friends of the NBA” alliance, the five-piece pop outfit will attend NBA games and events, play their part in promotional activities for the Association, and participate in various exclusive content that will appear on NBA and LE SSERAFIM’s social media channels — the first of which can be seen below.
The girl group is on a hot streak. Earlier this year, the singers became a Billboard Hot 100-charting act for the first time with the single “Easy.” The EP of the same name debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, in an historic week during which TWICE’s With YOU-th EP bowed at No. 1 on the chart, marking the first time that the top 10 had featured two all-women K-pop groups.
Easy also started at No. 2 on both the World Albums and Top Album Sales charts, while the title track surged to No. 6 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, marking the group’s second, and top charting, top 10.
LE SSERAFIM, which is signed to Source Music/Geffen Records/IGA, notched its first Billboard chart entry on May 14, 2022, when “Fearless” debuted on Global Excl. U.S. and the Billboard Global 200 charts (at Nos. 74 and 155, respectively).
The NBA with its wealth of talent is increasingly calling upon the profile of K-pop stars to spread the word. Last year, BTS’s Suga was named as an NBA Ambassador, with duties for engaging the Association’s “fans around the world”.
The NBA has never been more popular with sports fans abroad, and the game itself had never been more “international.” When the 2023-24 season tipped off, franchise rosters included a record 125 international players from 40 countries, led by Canada (26) and France (14). When the last regular season came to an end, international players led the league in points per game and rebounds, and non-U.S.-born players have won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for each of the past five seasons.
