Nikola Jokić is adding another major global partnership to his résumé, joining Anthony Edwards as one of Sprite’s leading basketball ambassadors.
Sprite unveiled Jokić as part of its new “Never Stop Refreshing the Game” campaign, expanding the brand’s renewed push into basketball culture ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season. The partnership comes months after Sprite returned as the NBA’s Official Global Soft Drink Partner under a new multiyear agreement between the league and The Coca-Cola Company.
The campaign leans heavily into Jokić’s dry, understated personality rather than trying to turn him into a traditional commercial spokesman.
In the launch spot, the Denver Nuggets superstar walks onto the stage at a small comedy club and immediately sets the tone.
“Anyone want to hear some good jokes? Because I have none,” Jokić says before later turning his attention to the crowd: “Anybody play basketball, nope? Probably not good enough.”
Nikola Jokic is joining Anthony Edwards as global basketball ambassadors for Sprite
“Anyone want to hear some good jokes? Because I have none… Anybody play basketball, nope? Probably not good enough.”
(via @Sprite) https://t.co/Me2I4fyvc7
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 12, 2026
That deadpan approach is central to the campaign, which uses Jokić’s natural humor and low-key public persona instead of a more polished advertising character.
Jokić said the brand’s long connection to basketball was one of the reasons the opportunity appealed to him.
“Basketball brings people around the world together,”
he said as part of the announcement, while also explaining in a separate interview that Sprite had been connected to the game for decades and that the partnership simply sounded like something fun and different to try.
He now joins Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who was already part of Sprite’s basketball strategy when the company renewed its NBA partnership earlier this year.
The Jokić-Edwards campaign will extend beyond traditional commercials. Sprite is planning specially branded cans featuring both players, QR-code promotions tied to prizes such as courtside experiences and exclusive merchandise, basketball-court murals and integrations with NBA 2K.
