Baseball Legend Willie Mays Launches NFT Collection on Nifty Gateway

Just in time for the 117th World Series this month, the Costacos Collection announced today the upcoming release of a non-fungible token (NFT) line dedicated to Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays.

Hosted on the NFT platform Nifty Gateway, the collection features moments of the Say Hey Kid’s life and career, from playing in the Negro American League to earning the title of Rookie of Year with the New York Giants in 1951. The NFT launch on October 24th also serves as a celebration of Mays' 90th birthday.

Co-founded by sports artist John Costacos, the Costacos Collection partners with athletes and their foundations to create blockchain-based digital art.

The Costacos Collection says all proceeds from the drop will go to the Mays' Say Hey Foundation to establish a baseball academy for underprivileged youth in Alabama and restore the historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, where Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons.

"I've never forgotten the people who supported me, taught me, and helped me find my way," Mays said in a press release. "I want every child to have the same chances that I had, and this gives me a way to do that starting in my original hometown."

One NFT called "The Making of a Giant" will feature an audio clip of sports broadcaster Bob Costas telling Mays' story. Other NFTs in the collection feature images commemorating Rickwood Field and Mays' Rookie of the Year award.

The Mays collection of NFTs is another line dedicated to preserving the legacy of historic black artists, musicians, and athletes. As previously reported by Decrypt, Russell Simmons collaborated with Snoop Dogg to launch a line of NFTs dedicated to early hip hop artists that laid the groundwork for what would become a global phenomenon.

The Willie Mays NFT collection will drop on Nifty Gateway on October 24 at 3:30 pm PST.