Outgoing chief marketing officer (CMO) Tammy Henault has put her stamp on the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Through celebrity cameos and cinematic storytelling, the marketer has helped cement the NBA’s place in culture while courting a global fan base since joining in 2022. During her tenure, Henault helped the NBA break attendance records, reaching its second-highest numbers for the 2024-2025 season following an already record-breaking season prior.
Now, after three years in the role, she’s preparing to step down. Marketing will be led by “the group’s current leadership team on an interim basis,” per an NBA spokesperson, while the league searches for a new CMO.
“What an extraordinary privilege it has been to help grow and evolve one of the most iconic brands in the world—expanding our global audience, deepening fan engagement, driving digital innovation, and strengthening the NBA’s cultural impact,” Henault wrote in a goodbye message on LinkedIn.
Here are four of the buzziest campaigns that helped Henault and her team flip the script for basketball and make history.
1. ‘We’re All in the Finals’ (2023)
Henault’s first star-studded campaign for the league landed on social, linear TV, and the NBA app in May 2023.
Produced by Brooklyn agency Translation, the hero spot captured the global excitement surrounding the NBA Finals and the whirlwind of emotions that fans and players experience during every game.
Set to “Hometown Glory,” by British artist Adele, and narrated by actor John Malkovich, the 60 second ad showed NBA legends, sports icons, and celebrities watching the finals with bated breath. Cameos included rapper and NBA ambassador SUGA and skateboarding icon Tony Hawk. TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel and NFL champions Peyton Manning and Eli Manning also featured.
The spot closes with NBA icons Larry Bird and Magic Johnson marveling at their combined championship rings.
In the run-up to the finals, the league relaunched its Larry O’Brien Trophy tour, sending the hardware to rub shoulders with famous folks like Tom Brady, Mariah Carey, Fat Joe, Bad Bunny, and UFC champions.
The 2023 tour was a hit on social, garnering more than 200 million video views and attracting nearly 100,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.