Cortis became the first K-pop group to headline an NBA All-Star event when they led the NBA Crossover Concert Series at the Los Angeles Convention Center during NBA All-Star 2026.
The rookie boy band took the main stage on Thursday, Feb. 12, as the opening headliner of the multi-night Crossover concert program tied to All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The show is part of the league's official entertainment schedule and runs alongside the All-Star Celebrity Game, skills events, and the All-Star Game itself.
Their set placed them in the same overall lineup as hip-hop star Ludacris and genre-blending artist Shaboozey, highlighting how the NBA is presenting different music genres across the weekend, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
According to BigHit Music, Cortis performed their debut single "What You Want," fan favorite tracks "FaSHioN" and "JoyRide," and "Mention Me," a song tied to Sony Pictures Animation's upcoming sports comedy film "GOAT."
The group also included "YOUNGCREATORCREW" as an encore, a new track scheduled for release next month that members helped write and compose. Audience response during the convention center show was reported as particularly strong during the encore, with notable crowd engagement around the unreleased song.
The NBA named Cortis "Friends of the NBA" in January to support the league's outreach across the Asia-Pacific region, formalizing a partnership between the group and the All-Star platform, the NBA reported.
League representatives have described the booking as part of a broader effort to link basketball programming with international pop acts and social media–driven fan bases. For Cortis, who debuted in August 2025 under BigHit Music, the All-Star slot adds a major U.S. live appearance less than a year after their official launch.
The five-member group — James, Juhoon, Martin, Seonghyeon, and Keonho — is BigHit Music's latest boy band and the first such act the label has introduced in six years. The name Cortis is based on the phrase "Color Outside the Lines," which the group and agency have cited as a reference point for the team's concept and branding.
Following the All-Star performance, BigHit Music stated that Cortis is working on a new album that will include "YOUNGCREATORCREW," positioning the Los Angeles event as part of the rollout for their next release, as per KProfiles.
