From K-Pop to Sports: CORTIS Joins NBA Friends Project

• CORTIS has joined the NBA's Friends of the NBA program, bolstering the league's cultural presence throughout Asia-Pacific.
• The group will play at NBA All-Star Week 2026, making history as the first K-pop act to perform on the NBA Crossover stage.
• The relationship underlines the NBA's global pop-culture approach, which complements CORTIS' rapidly expanding international appeal.

CORTIS, the popular rookie K-pop artist, has been officially included in the NBA's Friends of the NBA program, which is a cultural ambassador project aimed at boosting the league's presence in Asia and the Pacific area. The NBA confirmed the same on Jan 18, 2026 (Sunday), generating widespread interest amongst basketball and K-pop fans alike.

“Welcoming CORTIS into our Friends of the NBA program highlights the powerful synergy between sport and music,” said NBA Asia Managing Director Wayne Chang, as noted by Korea JoongAng Daily. Chang further stated, “K-pop embodies many of the same qualities as the NBA, with its ability to inspire passion, creativity, and global fandom. Together with CORTIS, we will celebrate the artistry of basketball and K-pop and create new and unforgettable experiences for audiences worldwide.”

The Friends of the NBA program collaborates with notable figures in entertainment and culture to engage with worldwide fans through innovative initiatives. As part of this role, the five-person band CORTIS, will attend NBA events, work on promotional campaigns, co-develop NBA-branded gear and accessories, and create original content that combines music and sports.

K-pop Meets Basketball at NBA All-Star Week

CORTIS, whose members include James, Juhoon, Martin, Seonghyeon, and Keonho, made their BigHit Music debut in August 2025 with the EP Color Outside the Lines, which featured the lead hit What You Want. The EP made commercial waves by selling a total of 436,367 copies in its first week, the highest first-week sales for any rookie K-pop act in 2025 and in K-pop history, leading domestic charts and establishing a strong global appeal, including a Billboard 200 entry and subsequent re-entries.

CORTIS' NBA collaboration will officially begin next month during NBA All-Star Week 2026 in Los Angeles, where the group will be performing at the NBA Crossover concert series on Feb 12, 2026, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. CORTIS will become the first K-pop act to ever appear on that stage.

CORTIS reportedly voiced excitement about the partnership's ability to connect people from many cultures, stating that the endeavor fits with their attitude of "coloring outside the lines," while expanding their creative frontiers.

Pop Culture Powering NBA’s Global Growth Engine

This is not the first time the NBA has used pop culture collaborations to expand internationally; past initiatives have included artists such as Billie Eilish, ScHoolboy Q, Big Sean, Wale, and E-40, fashion designers such as Jeff Hamilton, and culture-driven All-Star Week activations through long-time partners such as Hennessy to boost participation outside of core sports viewers. 

In light of these considerations, the selection of a growing K-pop group emphasizes the league's emphasis on Asia-Pacific countries, where basketball participation and fan engagement have increased in recent years. In 2024, Growth Market Reports estimated that NBA engagement generated about $3.1 billion USD in revenue in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, average viewership on NBA League Pass in Asia-Pacific increased 54% year on year, hitting its best level ever for the area during the 2023-24 season, with nations such as Australia and the Philippines ranking first and second outside the United States in viewership metrics.

In terms of Asia-focused entertainment, the Brooklyn Nets collaborated with Chinese media giant Tencent on CheersNets, a six-episode reality series that follows the selection of a dance squad to perform at sold-out games in Macao. By combining local talent, entertainment personalities, and basketball culture, the project attracted tens of millions of Asian viewers while emphasizing localized fan engagement tactics.

With the NBA All-Star Week 2026 appearance and co-branded goods ventures on the horizon, CORTIS' collaboration with the league represents a bigger, growing strategy. It shows how global sports organizations and entertainment personalities are increasingly collaborating to create large-scale cultural experiences that extend beyond the stadium. The idea ultimately is to connect with fans across markets through music, fashion, and shared pop-culture experiences.