The NBA and ESPN Launching Initiative To Highlight Black-Owned Businesses During The NBA Finals

ESPN is teaming up with the NBA and the Undefeated for the #ChampionBlackBusinesses initiative that will focus on spotlighting Black-owned bars, restaurants, barbershops, retailers, and other businesses in the hometowns of the Western and Eastern Conference champs.

With the LA Lakers and the Miami Heat gearing up to face off in the Finals, ESPN will soon select one Black-owned business from each city to be featured in a pair of 30-second spots on their social media platforms. What makes the initiative even more special is that ESPN will debut the film spotlighting the business from the winning city on air after the 2020 NBA Champions are crowned. Mark Cuban and Daymond John from ABC’s “Shark Tank” will be assisting by mentoring both businesses that will be selected.

After the Finals, the Undefeated will also release a list of other Black-owned businesses, in an effort to drive traffic to them. Local businesses typically benefit greatly during the Finals, as they see an influx in traffic from fans swarming the city. However, since the pandemic has put a damper on the typical fan-flooded event, many businesses are not getting the extra boost. Fans are also encouraged to use the hashtag #ChampionBlackBusinesses during the event to recognize Black-owned businesses in their own communities.