Kia is no stranger to the Web3 space; this year the company decided to release an NFT set on November 29 named “Legends Of The Driveway” to celebrate 16 years of its close partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in collaboration with the carbon-neutral Polygon network. The purpose behind the “Legends Of The Driveway” set is also to raise funds, in light of “Giving Tuesday” for MobilizeGreen, a national non-profit organization that has engaged more than 2,500 young people of color in paid “green” and STEM-focused career-pathway internships.

Fans can mint one of the 2023 pieces of the “Legends Of The Driveway” set on the Sweet Platform starting November 29 for only $49.99. Each token also comprises an entry chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime weekend trip to the 2023 NBA All-Star game. The collection features a mixture of more than a half dozen traits in each of the collectibles.

The NFTs feature neon-light-glazed custom basketball driveways which are the original reason many basketball fans and players fall in love with the game. They are a 3D depiction of the driveway with a surrounding house, with awesome NBA art on the walls, a basketball hoop, and a rack.

Kia America’s vice president of marketing, Russell Wager, stated:

“Pickup basketball games, whether they take place in a local park, in school yards, or a neighbor’s driveway, are where many pro-basketball legends got their start. Kia wanted to celebrate these enormously talented players as they are the inspiration for many young people dreaming of making their own way to the pros.” 

Legends of the Driveway collectibles will be kept in the buyers’ Sweet wallets and may be traded on secondary markets. Collectors can also mint the NFTs without cryptocurrency, and they can use their credit cards for minting. An additional 90% of the purchase price on secondary markets will be added to benefit the MobilizeGreen nonprofit. 

Leah Allen, the president and CEO of MobilizeGreen, stated: 

“Young people of color must be at the table, leading the effort to solve environmental challenges in their communities if we are going to create a more just and equitable planet. That starts with early career opportunities, like the ones available through The Virtual Intern. We are grateful to Kia for supporting our students as they begin their paths to leadership.’’ 

Previous Kia Web3 Projects

Kia previously launched its Robo Dog Collection in February 2022 with proceeds going to the Petfinder Foundation to help shelter animals find forever homes.

In July, Kia America also launched an ad campaign for the 2023 Kia Soul that featured a QR code, powered by Sweet’s NFT technology, enabling viewers to scan and claim a unique Kia Soul NFT. Every viewer who scanned the QR code had a chance to pull a rare Kia-branded DASK NFT.