The group CORTIS will headline a signature event during NBA All-Star Weekend, becoming the first K-pop singers to do so.
On the 4th, according to the NBA and the United States' largest sports broadcaster ESPN, CORTIS (Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun, Geonho) will perform a halftime show at the "2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game" (2026 Ruffles® NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, hereafter the "All-Star Celebrity Game") held on the 13th (local time) at the Kia Forum in California, U.S.
The NBA and ESPN introduced, said "CORTIS is the first K-pop artist in the history of the All-Star Celebrity Game to stage a halftime show. They were previously selected as Friends of the NBA and also serve as faces promoting the NBA," expressing high expectations.
The "All-Star Celebrity Game" is an event in which former NBA players, Hollywood actors, popular rappers and sports stars form teams and play a game. It is one of the signature events of NBA All-Star Weekend and is broadcast live across the United States on ESPN, drawing significant attention. CORTIS is expected to put on a special performance at this venue watched by basketball fans worldwide.
In this way, CORTIS is showing an unusual presence in the U.S. beyond the music market into the sports and entertainment industries. They previously announced they had been selected as headliners for the NBA Crossover concert series held on the 12th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. CORTIS is the first Korean singers to take that stage.
They also became the first K-pop artists to enter a partnership with energy drink brand Red Bull. The gaming industry has also taken notice of them. Their debut album track "GO!" was selected for the original soundtrack of season 4 of the popular U.S. game NBA 2K26, which boasts cumulative sales of 150 million. In the globally popular shooter game Fortnite, the song was used for a dance emote, continuing an unusual string of collaborations for a rookie.
[Photo] Provided by the NBA.
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