Bird also told Adweek that since she has “a lot of time on my hands,” she’s already thinking about the next potential brand collaboration. As she explores the idea of ownership and other opportunities, she pondered, “Maybe the next chair is my business chair. Or, if I become a commentator, maybe it needs to be a microphone and a headset connected to a Corona … just [put a] straw right in your mouth … that kind of a vibe. We’ll see!”

For now, she admits that after more than 20 years playing hoops, it’s “really nice to taste life without basketball,” and said she’s been “kicking back” and “chillin’ on my Finer Recliner.

“Now I don’t have to worry about how many Coronas I drink,” she said. “I can have as many as I want.”

A roster of newness for Corona

In addition to the collaboration with Bird, the Constellation Brands-owned beer—whose name took an unfortunate reputational hit at the height of the pandemic before recovering in saner times—has been having a busier than usual season with a spate of new product launches and partnerships as they look to capitalize on consumers’ return to outdoor activities and sporting events.  

The brand kicked off Cinco de Mayo with the launch of Corona Non-Alcoholic, its official entry into the red-hot alcohol-free beer category, followed by a Memorial Day-timed team-up with TaskRabbit and Wishbone Kitchen’s Meredith Hayden where sweepstakes participants in select cities won the chance to have a “Tasker” replace unused and unwanted alcohol in their refrigerators with the brand’s light beer offering, Corona Premier, which quietly launched in 2019.  

In March, the “flagship” brand, Corona Extra, kicked off MLB’s 2023 season as “The official Cerveza of Major League Baseball” with the release of a Spanish version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” performed by Latin artist Sech, as well as upcoming campaigns, partnerships and activations.