How We Helped Club 520 & Adidas Make History

Adidas, a leading global sneaker & apparel brand, helped the Club 520 Podcast become the first podcast to sign a sneaker endorsement deal last December. The deal was announced on Adidas Basketball social channels with a commercial produced by Story League.

Four men from the west side of Indianapolis found a way to overcome the noise of the podcast industry and make history along the way.

The Club 520 podcast and morning show features former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague plus co-hosts DJ Wells, Brandon "B Hen" Hendricks and producer Mike Harris. The show discusses the intersection of sports and culture and has become known for their raw comedic chemistry. Also, Teague's hilarious stories from his hoops career have entertained basketball fans across the country. The show's style of conversation and 'Naptown' lingo mixed with heavy fan interaction has attracted prominent show guests including pro athletes, entertainers & public figures. Past guests include Derrick Rose, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, JID & more.

Club 520 co-hosts Brandon 'BHen' Hendricks, DJ Wells & Jeff Teague (photo: Jay Goldz)

520's virality has attracted the attention of several national brands, most recently Adidas & their basketball marketing division.

The producer of the Club 520 Podcast, Mike Harris, and his squad manifested a sneaker deal long before they inked one with Adidas. Jeff Teague has even jokingly begged for a sneaker brand to take a chance on the 520 crew during live show recordings prior to the wish being granted.

The bottom line is that Adidas took a worthwhile bet on Club 520's authentic grassroots connection to basketball fans.

“Club 520 has become one of the most authentic and influential voices in basketball culture. Their storytelling, humor, and connection to the community embody everything we strive for at adidas Basketball."  said Max Staiger, Global General Manager of Adidas Basketball

Traditionally, a national sneaker brand championing a podcast group had been previously unheard of. Therefore the partnership announcement had to be strategic and straightforward. That's where Story League was brought into the picture.

As an Indianapolis native, I had existing relationships with much of the show's team, including main host DJ Wells and producer Mike Harris. Conversations of a potential collaboration with Club 520 started at the beginning of 2025. Once the 520 squad and Adidas secured a deal, Mike tapped us at Story League to help visually announce the partnership to the world.

Director Juwann Nelson & 520 host DJ Wells on the commercial set with Adidas in Indianapolis (photo: Corey Duncan Jr)

Story League and Club 520 worked swiftly to pitch a concept to Adidas that was culturally relevant, but most importantly that it remained authentic to the show's style. We felt this partnership would inspire creatives, athletes and entrepreneurs in Indy and beyond to help them realize that anything is possible. Even Carmelo Anthony & Kev On Stage talked about how this inspired them on an episode of 7PM In Brooklyn.

DP Justin King frames up a shot with the Club 520 Podcast crew (photo: Corey Duncan Jr.)

The final visuals the world saw were very similar to what was originally pitched. Adidas gave us significant creative freedom, which is typically unusual for major brand efforts. The campaign amassed millions of views over several platforms and garnered media attention from several outlets Including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Complex & House Of Heat.

With limited time, Story League kept things fairly simple but making sure each scene drew from cultural & hoops relevance. For example, the opening shot of DJ Wells in the announcement commercial is inspired by Spike Lee's scene in 'Do The Right Thing' featuring Samuel Jackson DJing live on the air on a hot Brooklyn day in the late 1980s.

The scene of BHen checking the surveillance cameras was inspired by a viral 2018 meme of Young Thug and Lil Durk in a recording studio.

The scene of the 520 crew opening the truck full of Adidas merchandise pays homage to Craig & Smoky's famous "DAAAMNN" reaction in 'Friday' (1990), a popular film in Black culture.

With major help from the team at Adidas Basketball, the inclusion of 'FaceTime' calls from NBA All Stars James Harden & Derrick Rose were huge additions to the overall hype of the announcement. The pair brought national recognition that any basketball fan could connect with.

Derrick Rose on set with Director Juwann Nelson (photo: Erik Hagerty)

This project ended up being such a blessing for the Indianapolis-based production crew who worked on the film and photography aspects of the campaign. The partnership aims to celebrate real stories, elevate creators and communities, and honor basketball culture beyond just the game itself - positioning it as more of a cultural initiative than just product marketing.

Story League production crew & Club 520 hosts on set with Adidas in Indianapolis (photo: Jay Goldz)

Adidas Basketball has been on a unique marketing run when it comes to culturally relatable storytelling and content. Most notably their work with Anthony Edwards surrounding his signature Adidas shoe. To be part of this movement with a leading brand like Adidas will serve as a significant milestone for us at Story League. We are like the rest of the basketball fans who were impacted by this project: The Club 520 Podcast showed us all that anything is possible.

Follow Story League:

IG: @storyleague.tv

Reach out to Juwann: jnelson@storyleague.tv