- Stephen Curry, Luka Dončić, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander star in Google's new "Search" campaign, with :30 and :15 spots running across broadcast, CTV, digital, and social ahead of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
- Dončić joins as a new Google brand ambassador, while Curry returns as Google Performance Advisor and Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, makes his debut in the campaign.
- Google will deliver 50+ live in-game integrations across NBC, Disney, and Amazon Prime, prompting viewers to explore real-time game content using AI Mode in Search.
- Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo will also appear in long-form social videos using AI Mode to break down their signature skills.
Google has kicked off a new campaign to support its extended partnership with the NBA around the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
The new “Search” campaign stars Slovenian star and new brand ambassador Luka Dončić, four-time NBA champion and Google Performance Advisor Stephen Curry, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning MVP.
The campaign connects Google’s AI Search product with the excitement of basketball, with spots running across broadcast, CTV, digital, and social. Google will also feature dozens of live in-game integrations across NBC, Disney, and Prime that prompt viewers to explore topics with AI Mode.
Google is also teaming up with Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo for long-form social videos where they use AI Mode to break down their signature skills.
Google has been the NBA’s official search and fan insights partner since 2021, with Pixel as the official fan phone. Previously, Google ran NBA campaigns with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Green, Kelsey Plum, and Jimmy Butler.
For Curry, who recently teamed up with Rakuten and Canvvs for a new campaign, this marks a continued Google relationship following his earlier role as Performance Advisor. Curry is currently a sneaker free agent after parting ways with Under Armour in November 2025, while also carrying endorsements with Rakuten and CarMax.
Dončić, who recently starred in a Gatorade campaign alongside JuJu Watkins, holds deals with Nike’s Jordan Brand, Gatorade, and Bose. Gilgeous-Alexander carries partnerships with Converse, where he serves as Creative Director of Converse Basketball, along with Canada Goose and AT&T.
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander made history by recording 127 straight games with 20 or more points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s record.
Takeaways
This campaign is a statement move from Google. Rather than simply slapping its logo on a broadcast, the brand is embedding AI Mode directly into how fans consume live basketball, tapping into the fan behavior of looking up stats, player bios, and game info while watching.
Pairing a proven endorser like Curry with a newly minted global name in Dončić and the league’s most dominant player in Gilgeous-Alexander is a calculated lineup, balancing star power, youth, and credibility at once. It also signals that Google is leaning hard into AI storytelling through sports culture, not just tech channels.
Does starring in a Google AI campaign position Dončić for deeper tech-sector brand partnerships going forward? Is this the moment that Gilgeous-Alexander’s marketability fully arrives on par with his on-court dominance?
