What Happened to the NBA Finals Hats?

In modern media, Celebration quickly turns into Criticism. We couldn’t simply enjoy the Thunder’s first Finals victory, the internet had to flame the new NBA Finals hats that dropped. Let’s examine why they’re catching so much heat and how this happens.

But First …

I thoroughly enjoyed this NBA Finals. Perhaps it’s because I’m watching them through the eyes of my son. For all the doomers out there, I’ve got a young son who loves the Thunder, the Finals, Haliburton’s game winners and Shai’s aura - none of that has to do with his tunnel fashion either.

This Finals represented a turning of the page. The league has been so dependent on Lebron for the last 20 years. Steph has been an amazing bolster to the league. But, it’s time for a new era of stars, and we’ve needed to rip the band aid off for a while. Big markets are good for business, but small markets can be good for the game itself. When fans appreciate the game, not only the stars, it has staying power.

Below, a new BrandFathers episode and my thoughts on Men’s Mental Health.

But, about these hats…

The Hat Heard ’Round the Internet

There’s outrage (what else is new), but this time it’s about design quality — or the lack of it.

Fans are calling this year's Finals cap as lazy, generic, and a downgrade from classic designs of the past. And…they’re not wrong. This comes on the heels of eliminating the Larry O’Brien trophy from the court. Presumably for other sponsorship opportunities like * checks notes * SKIMS on court.

The once-iconic look? Replaced by a rope hat — trendy in many parts of culture, perhaps not the NBA consumer though. Why does the design feels like a placeholder? Because that’s exactly what it is…

So, Why the Change?

One word: Efficiency.

This is where marketing meets logistics. Here’s how it works:

• Hats are made months in advance — mostly blank.

• Embroidery (the year, trophy, and “Champion” text) is pre-stitched.

• The team-specific patch? Added last-minute after the conference finals.

• The losing team's version? Reportedly gets boxed up and sent overseas. (The internet loves this narrative.)

It’s all about being fast to shelves when that buzzer sounds.

Sure, embroidery makes the hat feel premium. But efficiency wins over aesthetics in today’s game. Because, remember what’s most important? The consumer & customer decide…oh wait, my bad, the shareholder decides!

It’s easy to be critical, but some of this is necessary to prepare for championship moments. And fans make it permissible…

Trash Tees & Loyal Fans

Here’s the wild part:
Fans still line up overnight for these.

Slap a team logo on anything — tees, hats, whatever — and it becomes a hot drop. The psychology of scarcity, loyalty, and FOMO makes mediocre merch fly off shelves.

And honestly? It’s a window into sports consumer behavior.

Fans want to be part of the moment & celebrate the moment. The amount of fans who will even buy a conference finals championship tee is wild to me. But, I digress.

Marketing Takeaway

Championship merch isn't really about fashion. It’s a logistics-driven branding exercise.

Speed to market trumps premium quality when dealing with big moments.

But fans still buy in.
Why? Emotion. Identity. Tribalism.

So, if you're in sports marketing:
Don’t just chase aesthetics, understand the psychology behind the purchase.

Fans would rather belong than stand out on a fashion runway.

What do you think — is this just smart marketing or a creative letdown?

Education:
The BrandFathers new episode is out NOW: This week Ashwinn & Oren recap a week in France at Cannes Lions, while Jordan asks some important questions.

Or, you can always visit HowToGetAJobAtNike.com for some of my career resources & advice as well.

Blessings:

22 years ago, I was dying of addiction in a jail cell. Yesterday, I played golf with a major winner and today, I’m typing this in my backyard watching my kids play while my wife works out.
It’s Men’s Mental Health Awareness month, and I’ve struggled to figure out how I can be most helpful during this time, but here’s a couple thoughts.

All of my success in the last 20 years has been a result of dealing with my Mental…um, unHealth(?). Dealing with addiction was the beginning. Over the next couple decades reveals many gifts waiting behind the big one: deep depression, mis channeled anxiety, an obsessive compulsive personality that jumps from one thing to another, ADD and all that.

There’s a temptation to think that professional success will allow us to outrun any mental deficiencies. But, once I got into the rooms filled with success, I found many people there succeeded because of their perceived deficiencies. Alas, we must continue to deal with outselves.

The 12 step program is not perfect, but it helped me learn some really valuable lessons. Under the surface, I think it’s Christianity for Dummies. It put in simple terms some deep life questions that we would all do better to ask.

Can I admit that I, me, myself have major issues? Can I admit that I need serious help with these-both from God, but other human beings? Can I admit that the addressable problem lies within me & has nearly nothing to do with you or others in my life? Am I willing to do something (take action) about these issues within me? Am I willing to ask forgiveness of others? Am I willing to look outside myself and serve others who also need help?

And mostly, am I willing to act as if these things are true when I don’t fully believe them? So much of discipline is about doing something I DO NOT want to do.

Can I do those things long enough that I start to appreciate the long term benefit over the short term pain? So many of our challenges with our lizard brains is that we sacrifice long term health for short term comfort. Modern society exacerbates this. Our Godforsaken phones are never more than arms length away from convenience & escape. Sugar & Saturated fat are much more available than whole foods.

But, we can grow and progress. I don’t believe we ever fully arrive.

In summary, It’s hard to have Mental Health without Physical Health & Spiritual Health.

May you find some sense of harmony in your pursuit.

Blessings.