• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer, Yesterday

If you want to know where Nike is placing its bets these days, look at who's showing up and where. The company is teaming up with Dick's for a campaign starring a murderers' row of basketball royalty — past champions, WNBA stars, and the consensus top high school recruit in the country.

The athletic giant is also finding a new way to get in consumers' heads, with a first-ever partnership with Beats hardware. Ads, some of Nike's funniest work in ages, star LeBron James on the golf course, listening to a Commodores classic as he cheerfully ignores the relentless advice golfers live with daily.

Both moves, braiding retail, athletic performance and cultural clout, signal that Nike is closer to getting its groove back.

In the new campaign with Dick's, themed “The Scouts Are Out,” the brands are working with an all-star cast, including rapper-comedian Dave "Lil Dicky" Burd and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi. Current NBA stars Jayson Tatum, Stephon Castle and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will appear, as well as the WNBA's Sabrina Ionescu. The ads also include 18-year-old Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 ranked U.S. high-school player.

Athletes are wearing a full range of Nike, Jordan and Converse gear. Ads are running in broadcast, online video and social media. The effort marks the second time Dick's and Nike have partnered in a campaign. (In 2023, the two companies joined forces for a push called "Sports Change Lives.")

"March is when the spotlight gets brighter for basketball players everywhere," said Melissa Christian, vice president of brand building at Dick's Sporting Goods, in the announcement. "We're having fun with that idea by celebrating how everyone from household names to the next wave of talent comes to Dick’s.”

Nike and Beats make the case that LeBron James may need to level up his golf game — and they've built a campaign around it. James brings his style to the links in ads for Powerbeats Pro 2 – Nike Special Edition, marking a historic event: The first time Beats has shared its earbud real estate with a partner, featuring Nike's Swoosh on the right bud and Beats' signature "b" on the left.

The companies say the launch is meant to bridge the gap between elite sport and street style. Besides pro-level sound, the buds also include built-in heart rate monitoring that syncs with the Fitness app and Nike Run Club, 45 hours of battery life, and extra-strong sweat and water resistance.

"This isn't just a new colorway; it's a collision of two brands that define performance, culture, and sports—the attributes of today's athlete," said Chris Thorne, CMO of Beats, in the announcement. "By placing the Swoosh on our hardware for the first time, we're honoring the shared DNA of Beats and Nike—and celebrating ambassadors like LeBron James who embody both. It's a tribute to the grit, style, and sound that push people to their limits."

The noise-cancelling feature gets its moment too: In “Keep Your Head in The Game,” James tunes out a chorus of unsolicited swing advice from golfer Tom Kim and actors Lionel Boyce and Travis "Taco" Bennett.

While Nike, plagued by persistent sales declines, has been under Wall Street's microscope, many think the company is proving its way back to the winner's circle. Numerous investor publications report that Barclays has upgraded Nike's stock, citing what analysts describe as an important "fundamental bottom" and a company now headed toward recovery mode.