From fanboy to big-time endorser: BTS' Suga is NBA's new global ambassador

Any ARMY would know that BTS rapper Suga has been an avid fan of basketball since he was young. The musician, in fact, chose Suga as his stage name based on his position as the shooting guard of Kangbuk High School's basketball team.

Over a decade and several chart-topping K-pop hits later, the musician has begun moving up from being a mere basketfall fan on the courtside to a big-time personality whose name becomes synonymous with the sport.

On April 6, the United States National Basketball Association (NBA) and BTS' record label, Big Hit Music, announced that Suga is now the association's global ambassador. The announcement came with a clip of the musician in his previous engagement in games.

“It is personally a great honor, as I have loved basketball since I was young,” he said. “Stay tuned for more to come with the NBA.”

ARMYs were, of course, quick to shower Suga with love, support, and lots of purple hearts on the comments sections of NBA's tweet.

One fan wrote, "So deserving, from fan to ambassador! Congratulations, Yoongi! If younger you could see you now!"

Another one said, "Who would’ve thought? Wish someone could go back and tell him 10 years ago that this would happen."

"BTS dominating the music world AND the sports world!!!!!!! [purple heart emojis] GO GO MIN SUGA!!!!!!!" one ARMY quipped.

In a press release, NBA stated that its partnership with Suga would involve "engaging NBA fans around the world through the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA seasons and beyond." As NBA's new ambassador, the BTS member will be attending NBA games and events in the U.S. and Asia, as well as participating in the league’s promotional activities.

"Additionally, the NBA will have a presence throughout SUGA’s first solo world tour, collaborating around select concerts in celebration of the release of SUGA’s debut solo album, D-DAY," the organization wrote.

The musician's solo debut is slated for April 21, which will be followed by his tour in the U.S., Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea starting April 26.

Prior to his collaboration with NBA, Suga, whose real name is Min Yoongi, has been spotted attending different Los Angeles Clippers games since 2021. The K-pop idol also made headlines when he met with the Golden State Warriors during a practice game in Japan in September 2022, and when he took a courtside seat at a Los Angeles Lakers game and then received a customized jersey from the team in January of this year.