Hoops Legend Scottie Pippen Shoots a ‘Web3’ With Virtual Sneakers

National Basketball Association Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, who won six NBA championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls, is now looking to offer an assist to the world of Web3.

The basketball legend is setting up shop in a new partnership with Web3-based entertainment company Orange Comet, which is producing the “SP33” digital sneaker collection of 1,000 pairs of shoes based on Pippen’s career. The sneakers are scheduled to be released on Dec. 20 on OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace.

“I was curious,” Pippen said on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover” on Tuesday. “I’ve been in the shoe game for a long time, for 17 years.”

Read more: What Are NFTs and How Do They Work?

Pippen, who retired in 2008 after 17 years in the NBA, said he wanted to “learn about NFTs and Web3” and embrace the digital side of his sneaker collection. The collection will mirror a time capsule-like series of events, drawing on pivotal points throughout Pippen’s life as a player.

“They’re inspired by a lot of the shoes that he’s worn over his career,” Orange Comet CEO Dave Broome said. “But they’re new. They’re futuristic.”

The collection will also include a yet-to-be-revealed mystery box that NFT holders can claim next year.

Read more: From NFL to NFTs, Tim Tebow Gets Into the College Game With Solana-Based Platform

Broome also said that 33 NFT holders will be chosen at random to receive an autographed real-life prototype pair of shoes the platform is creating.

As part of the collection, one NFT holder with premium access will receive a VIP tour of Pippen’s hometown Hamburg, Arkansas, including a private dinner. Two NFT winners would get second prize – joining Pippen on the golf course to play the game he has taken up over the past few years after several back surgeries.

Pippen, who told CoinDesk TV he was nervous about the world of Web3 six months ago, appears to be more confident in this project.

“We think that we’re bringing something different, something special, something awesome to the marketplace,” Pippen said. “We feel like we’re the trailblazers, even though we’re not the first ones out of the gate.”

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