Redeem now - WNBA legend Lisa Leslie joined LeBron James on an upcoming episode of UNINTERRUPTED's "The Shop."
- James said he struggled to make the iconic WNBA hoodie campaign happen during the 2020 NBA bubble.
- "We went through rings to get that shit down to the bubble. They would not send us those hoodies."
The WNBA's logo hoodie is among the most iconic pieces of merchandise in the sports world.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.But the neon pullover didn't always have the considerable cachet it enjoys today.
In 2020, NBA players helped bring the popularity of the orange-and-white garment to new heights when several superstars wore the hoodie ahead of games in the NBA's bubble at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. But in an exclusive clip from an upcoming episode of UNINTERRUPTED's "The Shop" featuring WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, LeBron James describes facing some serious obstacles while trying to organize the WNBA hoodie campaign.
"We went through rings to get that shit down to the bubble," James said.
Leslie — a two-time WNBA champion and three-time league MVP who is widely considered one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time — spoke at length during the episode about how NBA players deserve more shine for being the "No. 1 allies" to the WNBA and its athletes. She cited the time "when LeBron wore that orange hoodie" in the bubble as a huge marketing opportunity for the league, as the photos "went viral."
That's when James explained that he had difficulty making the moment happen.
"They would not send us those hoodies," James said, shaking his head.
It wasn't clear from the clip or the episode whom James was referring to as "they." When reached for comment regarding the hoodie campaign, a source at the WNBA told Insider that ESPN was responsible for providing James and his fellow NBA players in the bubble — including Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young, and more — with the orange hoodies in question.
The idea for the #OrangeHoodie push originated within ESPN's marketing team, according to an ESPN Front Row article from August 2020. ESPN Vice President of Marketing, Storytelling, and Audience Expansion Rachel Epstein confirmed in the story that the sports broadcasting giant "shipped over 140 hoodies to the [NBA campus in Florida]" and that her team "couldn't believe how many [NBA] players ended up participating."
A source for ESPN also told Insider that "various logistical issues presented by the pandemic" created a delay on subsequent shipments of hoodies to the bubble. Even so, the campaign's results — including Naomi Osaka, Lil Wayne, Michael Thomas, Ninja, and more — were widely considered a massive success.
"#OrangeHoodie trended on Twitter, with more than 16,400 mentions specifically related to the initiative — with a potential impression base of 623 million across social platforms — and 95 percent positive sentiment around the effort," according to the Front Row article.
Epstein also noted that the hoodies became "the top-selling item on Fanatics.com for two consecutive days."
"There was just a ton of enthusiasm to show support for this league and its amazing players and female athletes in general," she added. "The WNBA has said that the league stands for the power of women, and I think that's the broader message here."
Leslie seems to suggest that her former league should lean further into the growth opportunities NBA players can offer.
"I said [NBA players] tweet, they follow us, they come to our games, we don't highlight them," the Los Angeles Sparks legend recalls telling folks in the WNBA. "They are our No. 1 ally. They have the most followers. You guys are targeting the wrong people."
Fans can check out the new episode of The Shop presented by GREY GOOSE on Friday at noon ET on UNINTERRUPTED's YouTube channel. But until then, check out the exclusive clip of James, Leslie, and more below:
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