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The future is bright for top high school prospect Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr. The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa has already caught the attention of NBA great Kevin Durant , who is impressed by his skill set and has no doubt he will one day be drafted into the NBA. “I got to know him two summers ago between his sophomore and junior year in high school. He came to work out with us. I was impressed by his size and fluidity as a player, his ballhandling. He was shooting jump shots well. He’s got the body type to become a pro in this league for 20 years. It is good to be around him. He has a lot of energy, too,” Durant told Andscape. While there appears to be a foreseeable path towards the pros, Dybantsa will first be taking his talents to college. According to The Athletic, he has committed to Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, UT. He also is the school’s first 5-star recruit, notes KUTV 2 News in Salt Lake City. View this post on Instagram A post shared by...
NBA star Jimmy Butler has brewed his love for coffee into a storefront in Miami, FL’s Design District. After teasing the concept for some time, the Miami Heat star officially opened his first BigFace Coffee shop on Dec. 5, 2024, according to Axios. The café boasts a chic interior design, a selection of merchandise including hats and jerseys, and an outdoor courtyard featuring ample seating. “This is a dream of mine,” Butler said at the grand opening, CBS News reported . “I get to come in here, chill out, meet people, vibe out, and become friends. Coffee is life. It’s how I start my mornings, watching my daughter play while I enjoy a cappuccino. For me, that’s the quintessential coffee experience.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Marzocco USA (@lamarzocco.usa) Besides Butler, other basketball figures at the grand opening included Carmelo Anthony , Heat center Kevin Love, and former NBA guard Brandon Jennings, according to Axios. DJ Khaled and French footballer...
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...
Stephen Curry stands by his decision to choose Under Armour over Nike. In 2013, in what was arguably the fumble of that decade for Nike, the shoe brand conducted a pitch meeting with the Golden State Warriors point guard. He had been signed to the company since being drafted to the NBA in 2009, according to Basketball Network. Sports Illustrated notes Curry began setting up meetings with leading shoe companies, and the new Under Armour ultimately came out on top. Under Armour offered a $4 million annual contract that included the promise of a signature shoe and the chance for him to become a key figure for the brand. Nike’s offer was $2.5 million without the additional perks, and the meeting reportedly didn’t go so well. A representative was said to have mispronounced Curry’s first name, calling him “Steph-on” instead of “Steph-en,” and a slide presentation allegedly had Kevin Durant’s name on it and not Curry’s. With Curry choosing Under Armour, the deal kicked into gear in 2013....
Jerseys worn by LeBron James and his son Bronny performed exceptionally well at auction. On June 27, 2024, Bronny James made headlines when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, selected as the 55th overall pick in the second round of the NBA Draft, notes USC Athletics. Shortly after, he signed a four-year rookie contract worth $7.9 million guaranteed, per ESPN. This historic move placed Bronny on the same team as his legendary father, LeBron. “Bronny is, first and foremost, a person of high character,” Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said, according to the NBA. “And second, he is a young man that works incredibly hard. Those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental corps at the Lakers.” Speaking to his potential, Lakers Head Coach JJ Redick commented, per Sports Illustrated: “We view Bronny as case study No. 1. Because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing — there’s a lot to like about his game. And...
Ray Allen turned down a lucrative offer as a rookie to sign with Nike. The California-born athlete was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996 during the first round as the fifth pick, according to ESPN. He was traded that same day to the Milwaukee Bucks with a three-year rookie contract valued at $6.2 million, per Spotrac. Allen’s earnings helped him remain level-headed when he was receiving offers from FILA and Nike. He already had his mind set on Nike and was not even swayed by a six-figure offer from FILA, despite having a prior sponsorship deal with the company. “ I almost ended up wearing FILA. My agent at the time tried to make me accept a check for a $100,000 but they were telling me they were going to give me a signature shoe,” he told Sports Illustrated in a 2017 interview. “It was either FILA or Nike at the time, and (FILA) told me (I’d get) the signature shoe for five years years but the first two I had to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, steals or assists....
James Harden hit the jackpot thanks to an investment decision influenced by the late Kobe Bryant. During an interview on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast, the basketball star revealed that Bryant suggested creating a pool of money dedicated to investments, including sports drink company BodyArmor. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , Bryant had invested $6 million in BodyArmor back in 2014. “Kobe basically was like ‘W e going to put a stash of $5 million and then any like business opportunities — it might be as little as $200,000, it might be $500,000 just depending on what, you know, what investment it is. But we going to put a pot together and we just going to invest our money,’ rest in peace before he passed away,” Harden explained to “Earn Your Leisure” hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. “ But BodyArmor was the beginning of that, and we seen how it is.” While it is unclear what Harden’s direct contributions were, the investment into BodyArmor was a smart move. In 2021,...
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has launched a venture capital firm. According to Bleacher Report, the Milwaukee Bucks player has introduced Build Your Legacy Ventures (BYL). The venture capital firm, backed by institutional investors and tech veterans, aims to funnel investments into the sports and entertainment sectors. As noted in a press release, the firm will be “driven by the Antetokounmpo family’s dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.” “I’m incredibly energized to launch BYL Ventures as a way to give back and support the next generation of visionaries,” Antetokounmpo, founder and general partner of BYL Ventures, said in the release. “This fund is not just about capital; it’s about forging partnerships and opening my network to accelerate the growth trajectory for companies. I want to help other entrepreneurs, especially those who have faced barriers, to grow and succeed. BYL Ventures will be focused on finding people with big dreams and helping them make...
A handful of Michael Jordan memorabilia has sold for millions. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a jersey worn by the former Chicago Bulls star during a 45-point game in the 1996-1997 season sold for $4.7 million at auction. This met expectations, as the auction house Sotheby’s had projected it would sell for between $4 million and $6 million. “One of the finest Michael Jordan jerseys ever to come to auction, MJ wore this road-red jersey for 5 months and 17 games during the Chicago Bulls legendary 1996-1997 championship season,” Sotheby’s commented on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles, commented to the Chicago Sun-Times: “This jersey symbolizes not just Michael Jordan at the height of his celebrity and prowess, but also a pivotal moment in basketball history. Today’s results highlight the enduring strength of the game-worn market, especially those pieces associated with Michael...
Anthony Edwards has been making headlines recently for his prolific performance on and off the court . Since joining the NBA in 2020, the young legend has already managed to stack up a list of accolades a mile long and has even landed a front-and-center placement as the subject of a season-long documentary with Netflix’s Starting 5 . The latter has seen Edwards popping up in the news a lot lately, due to his braggadocios nature and tendency to roast Jayson Tatum every chance he gets. Since Edwards has become such a major media figure in recent years, it only makes sense that we take a look at his net worth and various streams of income . According to Celebrity Net Worth , Anthony Edwards is currently packing an impressive nest egg of over $40 million, exemplifying his meteoric rise to super-stardom. So, let’s take a moment to study Edwards’ rise to popularity, college and NBA records, and other various streams of income to see what we can learn about his fast accumulation of...
LeBron James’ name is now attached to another accomplishment. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, a St. Vincent-St. Mary jersey, worn in high school by the current Los Angeles Lakers star made its way to Julien’s Auction in Gardena, CA. The jersey was sported during a 2002 Sports Illustrated cover titled “The Chose One,” captured by Michael LeBrecht, who served as a Sports Illustrated photographer at the time, per the auction house’s official site. “This was the first time I shot LeBron and these are the images here. Just kind of a simple setup. I had him dunk the ball at least 40 times. G ot him praying to make the NBA, and then I just felt like, ‘Okay let’s get a little bit more animated.’ He’s posing, I’m like, ‘J ust reach out like this’ and I’m like, ‘G ive me a woo.’ And he’s like ‘Woo!’ Y ou look back and you don’t realize it was a real turning point,” LeBrecht said in a video shared by the auction house. That photoshoot remains a memorable moment in sports , and now the...
It is no secret that professional sports players are some of the world’s highest-income earners. From basketball to soccer to American football, these athletes earn a top dollar through highly negotiated contracts to play the game they love. But who are the people who ensure these massive deals are secured? Agents have been on the front lines of deals and negotiations to ensure their clients receive the “big bucks” and contracts that reflect their skillset and worth. One of the more prominent firms involved in some of sports’ largest deals is Klutch Sports, led by founder Rich Paul. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rich Paul (@richpaul) According to an AFROTECH™ profile, Paul built his career without attending college. After high school, he started reselling vintage jerseys, which led to a chance meeting with LeBron James in 2002. At the time, James, a 17-year-old basketball phenom, admired Paul’s powder blue Warren Moon Houston Oilers throwback jersey in an airport,...
During Donovan Mitchell’s off season he is educating himself on the wine sector. The starting guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers is said to be the first-ever NBA star wine apprentice, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. Mitchell dove into the various aspects of winemaking with the help of The Prisoner, a Napa Valley-based wine brand that has worked closely with the NBA since 2020. The company also works with 100 growers in the northern region to produce various blends, according to their website. Mitchell’s introduction to the winery dates back to two years ago, while attending an event in the midst of the summer league in Las Vegas. “Ever since then it’s been a non-stop in my house,” he explained in a YouTube video. Now, as a student in the field and through the assistance of The Prisoner’s head winemakers, Chrissy Wittmann and Todd Ricard, he became more familiar with the systems in place to blend wines while in the barrel room and has gained an understanding of the...
Mark Cuban believes it’s only a matter of time before an NBA player signs a $1 billion contract. The Dallas Mavericks’ minority owner shared his thoughts during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast. When Sharpe asked if he thinks the world will ever see such a monumental deal, Cuban responded, “Yeah, but that presumes that TV keeps on going up the way it is. But, you’re going to see a hundred million dollars a year here shortly. Because if the TV contract has 10% increases in the cap, [which is] the way the CBA works. You saw Steph [Curry] had 62 million for one year… and it’s going to go crazier.” The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) defines the employment guidelines and agreements for all professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association, per its website . It also outlines the rights and responsibilities of the NBA Clubs, the NBA, and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). Sharpe’s question was prompted by 25-year-old...
While in the NBA, Al Harrington had long-held dream of owning a cannabis dispensary; now he owns several. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Harrington is the founder of Viola Brands, which exists to “increase minority participation and ownership in the cannabis industry while positively impacting and reinvesting into communities most affected by the war on drugs.” Its inception was inspired by his grandmother, who suffered from glaucoma that impaired her vision. He suggested she consume cannabis, and although she was initially reluctant, it helped her greatly after trying it. “She was complaining about her eyes hurting and I said, ‘Grandma, why don’t you give it a try.’ I said a doctor will actually recommend it,” he told News 12 New Jersey. “I said, ‘It’s legal here,’ and she said, ‘I’m in so much pain today, I’ll try anything.’ From that point on, I had a different outlook on cannabis. I realized that it was medicine. So, I started doing research and then eventually I got into the...