NBA
Which NBA players have their own alcohol brands?
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated04 Dec 2023
Alcohol is one of people’s favorite pastimes. Some people like to enjoy it socially with friends. Some people like to save it for special occasions. And some people simply like to collect rare/expensive bottles.
Regardless of how it is consumed, alcohol is a very lucrative business venture to get into. And as a result, many athletes get involved with various alcohol brands to gain an additional source of income outside of their salary from their playing careers.
NBA Players With Alcohol Brands
Since this website is a basketball website (hence the name), we will focus on NBA players. So, how many NBA players have their own alcohol brands?
According to Boardroom, 13 NBA players (former and current) have their own alcohol brands. Those players are LeBron James (Lobos 1707), Michael Jordan (Cincoro Tequila), Stephen Curry (Gentleman’s Cut), Scottie Pippen (Digits), James Harden (J Harden), Carmelo Anthony (VII(N) The Seventh Estate), CJ McCollum (McCollum Heritage 91), Tony Parker (Château La Mascaronne), Charles Barkley (Redmont Vodka), Dwyane Wade (Wade Cellars), Yao Ming (Yao Family Wines), Channing Frye (Chosen Family Wines), and Isaiah Thomas (Cheurlin Champagne).
Surprises On The List
When you look at the names on this list above, most of them make sense. Of course, household names like James, Jordan, Curry, Pippen, and Harden have their own alcohol brand. In fact, it seems there is a correlation between career success and acquiring your own alcohol brand. This makes sense, as you need money to have your own alcohol brand. And to make money as an NBA athlete, you need to have a pretty good playing career.
The only NBA players on this list to never make an All-NBA team (or All-Star team, for that matter) are CJ McCollum and Channing Frye. However, despite never reaching the heights that these other players obtained, McCollum and Frye are/were very respected during their playing days, and both of them have had very long playing careers. McCollum is even the current president of the National Basketball Player’s Association (NBPA).
Between the two of them, McCollum and Frye have 24 years (and counting) in the NBA.
