5 Spirit Brands Owned by NBA Legends
NBA Spirit brands
There comes a time in an NBA player’s life when they need to figure out what life is like after basketball. Some stay close to the game and become coaches or broadcasters. Others pursue traditional business ventures of various stripes.
Then there’s the select few that plunge into the spirits industry. This transition in hoop from basketball to cooperage, which sometimes happens before the player hangs up their sneakers, usually stems from a combination of investment strategy and personal interest. This blend results in bottles which immediately capture the interest among spirits-drinking NBA fans. If there’s delicious juice inside, it can also rustle intrigue among imbibers that don’t care to know the difference between a rebound and an assist.
Here's a quintet of bottles backed by NBA stars past and present to consider – a “starting five” for your home bar cart, if you will. Each bottle possesses a unique backstory that, at their best, reveals a little more about the players or personnel involved.
Redmont vodka
Charles Barkley infamously played a game massively hungover the day after celebrating a trade to the Lakers that, unfortunately for him, never happened. These days, the colorful Hall of Famer and basketball commentator has a much more important alcohol-related tale attached to his outspoken persona. In 2019, the “Round Mound of Rebound” became the majority owner of Redmont Distilling Company, a distillery in his native hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The brand’s flagship label Redmont Vodka expanded from regional to national distribution since his involvement, lending further credence to Barkley’s desire to be an active presence in the distillery’s future and not just a well-known figurehead.
Tasting Notes:
This corn-based, quintuple-distilled vodka features light, clean aromatics with subtle grain flavors. Notes of black pepper emerge amid a round, creamy transition to the palate, giving way to a pleasant finish.
Lobos 1707 Joven
$29.99
80 Proof
Player: LeBron James
In addition to being an active NBA player, future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James is an active spirits investor. He bought into Lobos 1707 on the ground floor, backing the brand through an investment group when the brand launched in 2020. James has popped up in various ad campaigns over the years, and his presence gives the brand cachet among hoops fans. But the award-winning label also stands out in the ever-growing agave field for a different reason. All five expressions – Joven, Reposado, Anejo, Extra Anejo, and Mezcal – are finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry bottles.
Lobos 1707 Joven Tasting Notes
The PX sherry barrel finish is present but not overwhelming. Classic earthy aromas combine with sweet citrus on the nose, followed by a mix of vegetal and dried fruit essences on the palate. Pops of spicy black pepper finish the tasting experience.
Steph Curry and Gentlemen's Cut Bourbon
Another active player destined for the Hall of Fame, Curry’s no stranger to success in the alcohol business. He launched the Domaine Curry wine brand in 2018, and The Prisoner Wine Company acquired the label in 2023. A bourbon enthusiast as well as an oenophile, Curry launched Gentleman’s Cut about a month before Domaine Curry’s transaction, positioning it as a limited edition luxury brand. The juice, produced as part of a joint venture with Kentucky’s Boone County Distilling Co., is a high-rye bourbon aged five seven years in charred new white oak barrels. In addition to the flagship label, Gentlemen’s Cut periodically releases hyper-limited special bottles such as Father and Son, a pricey expression paying homage to Steph’s dad and former NBA player Dell Curry.
Tasting Notes:
Hints of caramel and stone fruit on the nose, underscored by subtle earthy, spicy notes. The caramel carries to the palate, where it’s joined by honey, vanilla, and rye-driven pops of toast. It concludes with a punchy, nutty finish.
Digits Bourbon with Scottie Pipin
Scottie Pippen knows a thing or two about teamwork. After all, he and Michael Jordan laid the foundation for the Chicago Bulls’ run of six NBA titles in eight years during the 1990s. In 2021, the Hall of Fame forward embarked on a different collaboration. He teamed up with prominent winemaker Dave Phinney (owner of Orin Swift Cellars and producer of the Locations wine series) to produce Digits Bourbon, a limited-production bourbon aged in new charred American oak barrels hand-selected by the duo. Finding a bottle may be as elusive as a title was for Pippen without Jordan: The distillery that produced Digits, Savage & Cooke on California’s Mare Island, was acquired by fellow California distillery Redwood Empire Whiskey in 2024, and Digits appears to be discontinued for now. Of course, this just makes finding a bottle quite the impressive feat.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet aromas of stone fruit, cinnamon, and baking spice on the nose. This gives way to concentrated notes of classic vanilla, caramel, and dark chocolate notes on the palate before transitioning to a lengthy finish.
Cincoro Reposado Tequila
Jordan needs no introduction. It’s what happens when you’re considered by may to be the greatest basketball player of all time. His entry into the spirits game, on the other hand, requires some context, if only because it’s a little weirder compared to other athlete-backed labels. Cincoro’s concept stems from a 2016 dinner involving NBA team owners including Jordan, who owned the Charlotte Hornets at the time. This quintet may look borderline sacrilegious to basketball purists (read: ownership from the arch-rival Los Angels Lakers and Boston Celtics are involved), but it’s hard to argue against their collective decision to launch a tequila brand. In fact, their blanco, reposado, anejo, extra anejo, and gold expressions have been so successful, they’ve since attracted other athletes to invest in their brand, such as tennis legend Serena Williams and Hall of Fame baseball player Derek Jeter.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla, caramel, and oak aromatics reflect the juice’s 8- to 10-month aging in Kentucky oak barrels. A creamy palate presence supports notes of dark chocolate and toasted oak before segueing to a warm, white chocolate-kissed finish.