NBA player Tristan Thompson has made it clear he's looking beyond the court, with crypto and blockchain projects at the center of his next chapter.
Thompson has been in professional basketball since 2011, when he was drafted 4th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thompson went on to share his ambitions, defend his clean reputation in a market littered with celebrity tokens.
Thompson, who got into the crypto space just a year back, disassociates himself from the wave of celebrity tokens that collapsed in 2025, adding that he was never in it for the quick buck. He said:
"I'm here for the long term. It's about financial literacy, being part of great projects, and building a real portfolio."
Speaking to Cointelegraph, Tristan said that while numerous athletes and entertainers jumped into hyped tokens, he leans on the counsel of a few crypto veterans and his inner circle.
Stock Investing News "If I can't trust someone as a person, I don't care what tech they're building,"he said. "I'd rather build from the ground up with the right people than chase a pump."
NBA star launches Basketball.fun
Thompson's current endeavor is Basketball.fun , an on-chain fantasy basketball platform that incorporates prediction markets.
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Co-created with Layer 1 blockchain developed for gaming, Somnia, the idea behind this product is to provide enhanced engagement for fans by allowing users to establish player value directly on-chain. The launch coincides with the start of the new NBA season.
"It's the perfect moment,"Thompson said. "Fans are already in draft mode, so we're aligning with that energy."
NBA star bets big on Bitcoin
When asked about the market outlook, Thompson gave his personal prediction: by the end of 2025, Bitcoin will be at or near $150,000.
"I've heard numbers as high as $250K, but I'll say $150K is a conservative target,"he said. "That alone would give a lot of people a very happy holiday season."
During what he called an exclusive, Thompson shared that he wants to switch from being a player to being an C-suite executive in a crypto company. "Basketball has been great to me,"he said. "But I'm ready to go two feet in if the right opportunity comes, I'll go full-time in crypto."
Related: What is blockchain? Explained
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Sep 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
