GLD x March Madness: The Moment to Shine

Sweet 16 Recap: Michigan & Tennessee Advance

March is one of the wildest times of the year in sports. There are always unexpected winners that shock the college basketball world, and teams that stay poised to deliver as the top seeds in their conference. The madness makes predicting who will win close to impossible. We decided to show up in both Chicago and Washington, D.C. for the March Madness Sweet 16, in locker rooms with the next wave of winners. Here’s how it went down.

Michigan Madness

Before Michigan punched their ticket into the Final Four, we tapped in with them ahead of their game against Alabama in the Sweet 16. In the midst of their promising tournament run thus far, we set up shop in the team’s hotel to ice them out with GLD chains and pendants. Although they’ve been dominant, winning is rarely linear. This is true in general, but even more so in college basketball. Yaxel Lendeborg’s story is a reflection of what happens when confidence meets ambition. After being cut from his middle school team, he was ruled ineligible for his high school team, played only 11 games as a senior, and then played for a couple of different programs before leading his current Michigan team to the Final Four. We love the underdog come-up story and made sure to get him and the rest of the Michigan squad right leading up to their big game.

Tennessee on Top vs Iowa State

Tennessee and Iowa State went at it after both teams got iced out with GLD pieces ahead of their matchup. We posted up in the teams' hotels and had them get ready for the game with some of our best pieces. Everyone knows: if you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. And if you play good, they pay good. J.P. Estrella and the Vols rocked the large Tennessee pendant and picked out a range of iconic GLD pieces. The Tennessee Vols eventually took home the win to make their third straight Elite Eight appearance, and shouted us out for getting them right.

“Shoutout Shop GLD” - J.P. Estrella

(Bitter) Sweet Moments

“Teamed up with GLD to get my boys right!” - Zubi Ejiofor

Following their huge crunch-time win against the Kansas Jayhawks, St. John’s star forward Zubi Ejiofor teamed up with us to ice out his team with GLD pieces. Every player in the locker room was turnt up and ready to ball. This was their comeback season, highlighted by a 13-game winning streak and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999. They broke a 26-year drought, brought hoops back to the Mecca, and made history while doing it. Their season was unfortunately cut short by powerhouse Duke. We also iced out Milan Momcilovic, Tamin Lipsey, and the Cyclones of Iowa State before their Sweet 16 matchup.

The Closeout: Honorable Mentions

As inconsistent as March Madness is, GLD is always a constant. Always around the neck of a winner, on the wrist of a shooter, and inspiring the ones shaping what’s next. We were a part of more than a few memorable moments leading up to the tournament in March. UMBC had their best season in school history this year, and each win on their historic run was highlighted by the chaining of the “Dawg of the game.” Each game, the team chose one player who helped lead them to victory and iced them out with the large GLD piece. This created a contagious energy in the locker room throughout the season, where players pushed harder to earn that moment. DJ Armstrong Jr. also wore the large GLD piece on the podium after winning the America East Championship. Although their run was stopped short, UMBC made it to the tournament for their first time since 2018.Miami (Ohio) also had a special season. They silenced many doubters with an undefeated record, which led to an NCAA Tournament appearance. Heading into the big dance, we had them dancing in GLD chains and bracelets. Peter Suder and the squad got their first NCAA Tournament win since 1999, turning up the whole program. Gotta love the magic of March. With four teams remaining, let’s see what unfolds next.

"Boys dancing, just like the chains" - Jackson Kotecki

John Polanco

John Polanco is a copywriter from the birthplace of hip-hop whose work spans jewelry, fashion, beauty, music, world-leading brands, and art institutions shaping the diaspora.