The NBL is undoubtedly having a moment right now, and Champion are getting behind it in a meaningful (and very Champion) way.

The numbers the NBL put up last season are pretty staggering: record attendance at the season decider, over 1.2 million attendees at live games, 63 sold-out games and a 21% rise in streaming audiences over the NBL26 season. But you only need to look around to see the impact of the sport on culture, both locally and globally, with fashion and even music reflecting the street-meets-sport stylings worn by players.

This is where Champion enters the chat. The heritage athletic wear company has linked up with the NBL as its Official On-Court Player Apparel Partner, recognising that the partnership needs to go beyond the big games and also support grassroots hoops in Aus.

Which brings us to Worn Like A Champion, the new campaign and capsule collection that lives in the overlap of basketball, streetwear and art.

At the centre of the collection is Western Sydney artist and muralist Sam Absurd, who’s teamed up with Champion’s design crew to create four limited-edition tees inspired by the personalities and off-court style of NBL players. The designs bring Sam’s signature bold illustrations and playful characters to Champion’s basketball heritage.

And they’ve enlisted some pretty serious talent to bring it all to life, including Sydney Kings star and former NBA player Torrey Craig, Melbourne United’s Luke Travers and Brisbane Bullets’ Rio Bruton, alongside rising Kings guard Bailey Hanson and WNBL players Agnes Emma-Nnopu and Jaz Shelley.

It’s a collection that feels just as at home on the street as it does courtside, celebrating the culture surrounding basketball and the people who make it what it is.

The Worn Like A Champion collection launches today, October 20th, with four limited-edition hero tees ($79 each) alongside a wider range of tees, available at Champion stores and online at champion.com.au.

Stay tuned to LWA over the coming days for plenty more from Champion, and maybe even a little giveaway…