Getty Wyc Grousbeck and Emilia Fazzalari, co-owners of the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics might be an independent juggernaut on the basketball court, but off of it, their owners have looked for a strategic partnership to enable their venture into the tequila industry.
Cincoro is a company formed in 2019 by some of the heavyweights in NBA ownership — including Michael Jordan, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jeanie Buss, the Celtics’ Wyc Grousbeck and wife, Emilia Fazzalari, and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Wes Edens — with the aim of becoming the most prominent brand in the tequila market.
In September, Fazzalari, who is Cincoro’s co-founder and CEO, talked with Bally Sports’ Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson to discuss the venture and the launch of its fifth product, Cincoro Gold.
Lakers & Celtics can get along! 🤷🏾♂️🥂🍾
Today Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, Celtics owners Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck joined Bucks owner Wes Edens & Hornet owner Michael Jordan launched their 5th drink Cincoro Gold.
“There are just five of us; hence the name cinco/cincoro — cinco for ‘five’ and oro for ‘gold’ as the five of us set out to create the gold standard in tequila. And so, how it all started … we were actually all in New York for the NBA Board of Governors meeting and we all decided to get together for dinner,” Fazzalari said about the night back in 2016. “And that night something really special happened … it was five of us and four NBA teams — Jeanie Buss with the Lakers, Michael Jordan with the Hornets, Wes Edens with the Bucks and Wyc and I with the Celtics. And we are four archrivals.
“We bonded as friends, and we realized that we all had a shared love for tequila. And from that dinner, the concept of Cincoro was born. We talked about creating an absolutely delicious-tasting tequila, one that was really smooth — that was really important to us — and one that would have a long, beautiful finish akin to a cognac or a fine bourbon,” Fazzalari said during the October 5 interview.
With so many successful business-minded people involved in the development of Cincoro, there’s no doubt that the new business will begin to scale the heights of the alcohol industry, although there may be some friendly rivalries to keep an eye on.
Unique Bottle Designs by Former Jordan Brand Creative
The distinct design of Cincoro’s bottles is part of its brand-recognition strategy. According to the company’s website, the bottle is “designed to reflect Cincoro’s sleek, contemporary and unique tequila” and it “evolved into a glass agave leaf sculpture reflecting the five owners with its five-facet form.”
“I don’t know if you know this but, Mark Smith — who was the former Jordan Brand shoe designer — and Michael designed the bottle,” Fazzalari said. “What’s really unique about the bottle is that it has five sides which is one of the only bottles — I think that we are the only one that has a five-sided bottle. If you do turn it to the side, it does resemble an agave leaf and there are some really hidden cool secrets; if you feel the bottom of the bottle, it actually slants 23 degrees. Mark Smith is pretty incredible. If you take 23 bottles and you line them up head to toe, they form a perfect circle and the diameter of that circle is the same as the diameter of a tip-off circle on an NBA court.”
Fazzalari Excited for New NBA Season
While the nature of Scoop B’s interview with Fazzalari was certainly focused on the development of the new company, there was still some time to talk basketball, which allowed the governor to share her thoughts on the Celtics’ chances of winning a championship this season.
“We’re super-excited for the season. Look, we had a preseason game yesterday and we did win, which is really exciting so we’re off to a good start, but the season hasn’t officially started. We’re all undefeated right now, and we’re looking forward to a great season,” Fazzalari said.
“When you look at the Cincoro ownership group, it does very well, right? So Jeanie and the Lakers won in 2020, and the Bucks won in 2021. We were hoping to win last year, as you know but, we’ve got a great team and we’re excited about the future of this team,” she said.
Boston, which will look to put its troubled offseason behind it, opens the new season with an October 18 game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Celtics Owners Go Into Business With Boston Archrival