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Non-fungible tokens are gaining momentum and adoption. NBA players and celebrities from the entertainment and sporting industry in general are big players in this space.
One of the most exclusive and sought-after NFT collections is the Bored Ape Yacht Club. The collection consists of 10,000 unique apes with variations and rarities with attributes spanning from facial features to accessories, clothing and many more. The apes are riddled with different facial expressions in exquisite attire on a colorful background and minted on the Etheruem blockchain.
The popularity and demand for BAYC has skyrocketed and has increased the value of each piece. An average BAYC costs as high as $200,000 (54 ETH), compared to what it was on release day – $300 (0.08 ETH). The disinterested-looking apes are owned by high-profile individuals and celebrities from all industries.
Gary Vaynerchuk from Varner Media owns Bored Apes No. 1452, No. 7912 and No. 8106. American DJ Steve Aoki owns Bored Apes No. 3719, No. 5823, No. 8398, No. 8716 and No. 9394 and Mutant Apes No. 17438 and No. 17439.
NFL players Dez Bryant, Von Miller of the LA Rams and Andrew Sendejo of the Indianapolis Colts are also members of this exclusive club.
Five NBA players who are members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club
The Bored Ape Yacht Club has benefited from having NBA players as part of its club. They give the collection much-needed attention and approval to generate interest from the populace. That, in turn, creates high demand and value.
The owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, is also a member of this exclusive club and owns the Bored Ape No. 1597.
No. 5: Andrew Wiggins
The most recent owner of a Bored Ape NFT is Golden State Warriors small forward Andrew Wiggins. The 26-year-old was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick in the 2014 draft.
"Maple Jordan," as he is fondly called, took to Twitter to announce his purchase of the Bored Ape No. 8324 on Dec. 23. He becomes the fifth NBA player to join the exclusive yacht club.
No. 4: Josh Hart
Josh Hart is also a member of the BAYC. He is the owner of two Bored Apes: No. 3780 and No. 8748.
The Utah Jazz made Hart a first-round pick in the 2017 draft. The shooting guard's rights were later traded to the LA Lakers. He spent two seasons with them before moving on to the New Orleans Pelicans.
This season is his third with the Pelicans. His second season was marred by a thumb injury that ended his year after 47 appearances.
No. 3: LaMelo Ball
The 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year, LaMelo Ball, is having a breakout season, leading the Charlotte Hornets to 15 wins. The 20-year old point guard has registered 11 double-doubles and two triple-doubles.
He joins Josh Hart in being the only NBA players to own two Bored Apes. Ball's BAYC collection include the Bored Ape No. 598 and No. 7226.
No. 2: Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal is the only NBA to have purchased a Mutant Ape of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. He is the owner of the Mutant Ape No. 14452 – a M1 mutant ape in an exquisite jacket. He bought the mutant ape for 4.8 ETH ($18,741) on Sept. 25.
The mutant ape is generated from the 20,000 mutant serum (M1, M2 and M3 variants) created by the BAYC. The serum is to be applied to any of the original 10,000 Bored Apes, which mutates them into disfigured-looking apes.
No. 1: Steph Curry
Two-time NBA champion Steph Curry is one of the earliest NBA players to purchase a Bored Ape NFT. He bought the No. 7990 unit of an uninterested-looking ape in a green suit on Aug. 28. The BAYC NFT was sold for 0.68 ETH ($2,653) in May, but Curry purchased it for 55 ETH (about $180,000 at the time).
The Golden State Warriors point guard uses a picture of the NFT as his avatar on Twitter, showing what a proud member he is. There's a high probability of seeing more NBA players joining this exclusive club in the near future.
