Travis Hunter has a string of victories to celebrate. In December 2024, Hunter was awarded the 2024 Heisman Trophy and became only the second two-way player to receive the honor, following Charles Woodson in 1997, according to the NFL. The award is given to an athlete who is considered the most outstanding player in college football. “First, I want to say I thank God, man I never thought I woulda been in this position,” Hunter said during his acceptance speech. Lil Wayne was also present to celebrate Hunter’s achievement. Hunter revealed he would often play the rapper’s music during pregames and expressed his gratitude. “I’m really appreciative of it, Wayne. You don’t know how you came in, came into our life, man. My fiance loves you. I didn’t know none of your songs until she let me know ’cause I don’t listen to music,” Hunter explained. “She told me you got to listen to this. If you don’t listen to music listen to Wayne, and from that day on that’s all I listen to.” He also told...
Damian Lillard just received back-to-back victories. The eight-time All-Star is currently on the roster of the Milwaukee Bucks following a three-team trade in November 2023, a news release mentioned. It has not taken long for the team to reach a major milestone. On Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, the Milwaukee Bucks were announced as champions over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the annual in-season NBA Cup, which is in its second year. What’s more, players on the team with standard contracts will be awarded $514,971 each for the victory, notes WGN-9 TV. “I’ve had a lot of experience individually where I’ve had accomplishments and stuff,” Lillard said, according to AP News. “But to have some team success and win something and be the last team standing in this tournament, it feels great.” Giannis Antetokounmpo, power forward and teammate, commented: “I’m so happy for Dame that we got our first trophy together. This is just the beginning. We have to keep on improving and getting better, and we...
It’s Travis Hunter’s winning season. The University of Colorado Boulder football player took home the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award for the Buffaloes on Dec. 5, 2024. What’s more, he is rumored to be the top choice for the Heisman Trophy and is expected to be among the top prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, Sports Illustrated reports. Multi-Year Deal Adidas Deal Hunter’s latest win includes signing a multi-year NIL deal with adidas, which will extend into his NFL career, notes Boardroom. The athlete has been seen sporting the apparel line on his podcast, Twitch channel, and during pregame warm-ups. View this post on Instagram A post shared by adidas Football (@adidasfballus) “Working with adidas is a special opportunity for me and something that I’m really excited about as I look ahead to what’s next,” Hunter expressed, per another Sports Illustrated report. “The partners they currently have are top tier with some of the best young guys like me. I’m pumped to join the three...
Adidas may be one of the only companies that Cancel Culture has been unable to overtake. Before Geriatric Millennials and Gen Xers were wearing their very best Adidas shoes, courtesy of Run DMC ‘s 1986 song anthem, the brand wasn’t exactly known for embracing African-American culture. In fact, its 1949 founder Adolf “Adi” Dassler was a documented member of the Nazi Party. Although Adidas certainly doesn’t bring attention to his affiliation in the brand’s timeline , the brand doesn’t hide the founder’s name either. Dassler became the supervisor of the Hitler Youth Sports league , but there are some conflicting reports about whether he was politically enthused with his affiliation or whether his “sole purpose was to support athletes, regardless of political affiliation, religious faith or ethnicity.” Felix Reimann Then, add on images of Jesse Owens, the African-American winner of four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, who was wearing Dassler’s new handcrafted, leather...
After a period of separation, Kanye West and adidas have reached an agreement settling all legal disputes. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , Ye’s partnership with the retailer began back in 2013. According to The New York Times, he secured one of the most lucrative deals ever for a non-athlete. By 2016, the rapper signed a new contract that significantly boosted earnings for the Yeezy brand. That same year, West shared that his shoes were selling out within minutes, moving 40,000 pairs at a time, Forbes notes . The partnership ultimately generated $2 billion in annual revenue for adidas by 2022, according to The Washington Post. Bloomberg reported that Yeezy made up half of adidas’ total profits before they went their separate ways, highlighting the partnership’s success. This achievement helped West reach unicorn status, though he lost it after ties were severed following his antisemitic comments in 2022. “ Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism or any form of hate speech. Ye’s...
North West plans to start her own empire, following in the footsteps of her parents. Her Parents’ Empire Kim Kardashian: North was born into fame as the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Ye, formerly Kanye West, on June 15, 2013, in Los Angeles, CA, though the couple is now divorced. Kardashian shot to stardom following the success of the reality television show, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” which aired in 2007 and ran for 20 seasons on E!. By 2016, Kardashian was the highest-paid reality television star, ringing in $51 million annually and boasting millions of followers across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at the time, TIME reports. As the show was nearing its end, it was reported by Parade she was earning as much as $4.5 million per season. Kardashian was able to continue her success beyond her time on screen, expanding into business with ventures that included KKW Beauty, which she shut down in 2021 after selling 20% to Coty for $200 million the year prior, according to...
About a week after stepping away from the WNBA, Candace Parker is embarking on a new trail to back the next generation of women athletes. On April 28, 2024, after 16 years in the league, the WNBA legend announced that she had retired. While Parker broke the news that she was hanging up her jersey, she also shared that she will continue to focus on her family as well as pivot to the business side of the sport. “This is the beginning…I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes (sorry babe it’s going to get more real) with the same intensity & focus I did basketball,” Parker wrote via Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker) Amid Parker’s numerous aspirations, a leadership role has already come to fruition. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, on May 8, 2024, Adidas announced that Parker has been appointed as p...
Kanye West is convinced he will recover his losses from the severed Adidas partnership. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the apparel giant severed its ties with the rapper and record producer in 2022 due to antisemitic remarks West made at the time. As a result, Adidas paused the production of all Yeezy-branded products and froze payments to West and his companies. “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness,” the company declared in a press release . “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products, and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.” In May 2023, Adidas softened its posture, announcing the company...