Business

Black-Owned Dentist Office Partners with Charlotte Hornets

Taking its place among corporate giants such as Nike and Coca-Cola, Smile Savvy Cosmetic Dentistry has just signed a partnership deal with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

Owned by Drs. Joya and Drew Lyons, an African-American married couple based in Charlotte, NC, Smile Savvy became one of the few Black-owned businesses to have NBA partnership deals. 

“We are proud to enter this partnership with Drs. Drew and Joya Lyons and their Charlotte-based, Black-owned business, Smile Savvy Cosmetic Dentistry,” said Hornets President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield. “We look forward to bringing them into our Hornets family and teaming with them to help share healthy smiles.”  

Smile Savvy will be the primary sponsor of the Hornets’ Smile Cam. The company will be launching the Smile Savvy Smile Watch, where candid shots of fans, players and staff will flash on the big screen.

Additionally, Smile Savvy has the right to use Hornets logos and marks. The doctors and the Hornets will team up to present a Date Night package with premium tickets, dinner in the Hornets’ Crown Club, and a behind-the-scenes pregame experience.

The doctors opened in 2014, and the business was reinvented during the pandemic. 

“Smiles are a major part of human connection and interaction,” Dr. Drew Lyons said during a press release. “During the pandemic, people not only missed seeing the smiles of others but also realized how valuable they are when it comes to employment and other opportunities. By partnering with the Charlotte Hornets, we know that we can touch more who desire to have healthy smiles to open more doors through both our office and our charitable arm, the Lyons Share.”

Rosa Grillo