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It’s a family affair over at the Shaq Brand. Walking Away From Reebok As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Shaquille O’Neal had a multi-million-dollar shoe deal on the table from Reebok. However, he walked away from the deal in 1998 to launch an affordable shoe line in partnership with Walmart. This was prompted after a mother told him that his younger fans couldn’t afford his shoes being sold by Reebok . O’Neal recounts on “The Big Podcast” that he went to his mom in hopes she would counter what the woman had said. However, his mother not only agreed but she also reminded him about his hometown of Newark, NJ. “She’s like, ‘Remember, you ain’t never had no shoes that cost more than $40.’ So, I said to myself, ‘All right, I’m gonna start my own line.’ I called Reebok and said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to renew.’ I had like $50 million on the table. I had no idea what I was going to do. So, I was thinking about where do my people go. Walmart. Walmart is the best distribution in the world....
Miami Art Week returns to Miami Beach, FL, from Dec. 1-7, 2025, with Art Basel once again anchoring the citywide celebration and bringing culture, community, and creativity together. Art Basel is a highly anticipated event that unites art lovers, collectors, curators, and artists from around the world, AFROTECH™ previously reported. While the Miami installation is considered the premier art show of the Americas, the international fair also takes place annually in Basel, Switzerland; Hong Kong, China; and Paris, France . This year’s edition of Art Basel Miami runs Dec. 5-7, with preview days Dec. 3-4 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The 2025 fair will feature 283 leading galleries from 43 countries and territories across the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, according to a press release. Building on its vibrant cultural landscape, the show will further energize Greater Miami with a week of museum-quality exhibitions and collaborations from leading names in the...
Darrick Johnson and his team have launched a new software to put actionable insights at the fingertips of sports agents and teams. Johnson is a South Central, LA, native who knew technology would always be in his playbook. His father worked at various tech companies, including IBM and Intel, so Johnson always maintained positive sentiments toward the sector. In college, his undergraduate studies centered on business administration, marketing, and management. He then had a short nine-month stint as a professional football player in Canada, but he always knew there was more in store for his career. “I got back home from Canada and was sitting on the couch waiting around for phone calls. Phone wasn’t ringing. I was like, ‘You know what? I got a degree.’ So I literally looked up technology sales jobs and found an inside sales job … So I was making 100 calls a day for almost 18 months before I actually landed my first tech job at Dell,” Johnson told AFROTECH™. One year into his time at...
Stephen Curry is saying goodbye to Under Armour. The Golden State Warriors player has been signed with the brand since 2013. Under Armour debuted Curry’s first signature shoe during All-Star Weekend two years later , which eventually grew into a 12-model line, according to Sports Illustrated. The success of the partnership paved the way for the creation of Curry Brand in 2020, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. Three years later, Curry was appointed president of the Curry Brand and received 8,823,530 restricted stock units of Under Armour’s Class C common stock, valued at $75 million, and supposedly secured a lifetime deal, notes a separate AFROTECH™ article. “There’s always been a continuation [in mind] with Stephen,” Under Armour Founder Kevin Plank said in March 2023, per ESPN. “I couldn’t imagine Under Armour without Stephen, or Stephen without Under Armour.” According to a press release, the tides have shifted for the partnership. Curry Brand is now independent after parting...
You can never predict JuJu Watkins’ next move. The University of Southern California (USC) basketball player is now an investor in the National Women’s Soccer League’s Boston Legacy Football Club (Boston Legacy FC), according to a press release. Watkins makes history in the process as the first college athlete to invest in a women’s professional sports team. She joins a group of investors that includes Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, actress Elizabeth Banks, Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens, WNBA player Aliyah Boston, and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Sportico reports the city of Boston was awarded a National Women’s Soccer League team in 2023, and the team will begin competing in 2026. “Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level, and I’m proud to be part of the movement pushing women’s sports forward,” Watkins said in a press release. Jennifer Epstein, controlling owner of Boston Legacy FC, commented:...
NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is expanding his business ventures with a new 6,800-square-foot steakhouse and cigar lounge at Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, PA, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. The property’s owner, Boyd Gaming Corp., has not yet announced the name of the steakhouse or its official opening date. The company confirmed Barkley’s involvement and said the new venue will be located near the casino’s food court. Barkley, who played eight seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers after being drafted in 1984, said in a statement that he wanted to “bring something new” to the Philadelphia area, which he described as a place that has “always felt like home.” “We’re creating a spot that’s fun, comfortable, and full of personality,” Barkley said. “I want it to be the kind of place where people can unwind, share a great meal, and feel that same energy and connection that make this community so special.” According to the Philadelphia Business Journal,...
NFL running back Saquon Barkley has invested in AI data center startup Crusoe, joining other investors in the company’s $1.4 billion funding round, which values the startup at more than $10 billion, per Business Insider. According to the outlet, Crusoe, which calls itself “the AI Factory Company,” develops clean-energy-powered data centers for artificial intelligence. The company integrates energy sourcing, AI-optimized construction, and proprietary cloud services. Its Crusoe Cloud platform is used by AI startups, including Together AI and Fireworks, to provide computational resources for AI model training and data processing. Investors in the funding round also include Nvidia, Valor Equity Partners, Mubadala Capital, and Founders Fund. Details about Barkley’s individual investment were not disclosed, per Business Insider. The funds will support the expansion of Crusoe’s renewable-energy-powered data centers for large-scale AI operations. Barkley, who plays for the Philadelphia...
A judge has ruled in favor of an Ohio high school athlete looking to profit from NIL. Details of Lawsuit As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the mother of Jamier Brown, a top-ranked wide receiver in the U.S. attending Wayne High School near Dayton, OH, filed a lawsuit against the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), as it does not permit student athletes to earn revenue from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). For Brown, this means missing out on possible deals worth more than $100,000. The lawsuit, filed in Franklin County, described OHSAA rulings around NIL as “outdated and unlawful” and that “OHSAA’s blanket ban not only singles out Ohio’s high school student athletes for unequal treatment, but it is also unlawfully suppresses their economic liberties, freedom of expression, and restrains competition in the NIL marketplace.” Brown, who intends to play football for Ohio State University, said, “I’m being raised by an amazing single mom who’s always doing her best to...
Jimmy Butler’s business portfolio is warming up. The Golden State Warriors player joined an investor group and is officially a minority investor in the National Women’s Soccer League’s San Diego Wave Fútbol Club (Wave FC), which was valued at $120 million in October 2024 after it was acquired by the Levine Leichtman family from Ron Burkle, according to The Athletic. Butler’s interest in soccer dates back to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he attended the men’s final, The Athletic reports. He sees the investment in Wave FC as a chance to set a new standard in women’s sports. “Soccer has been a passion of mine for a long time, and being part of the game in a meaningful way has always been a dream,” Butler said in a press release. “San Diego has become a city close to my heart, and I’m proud to invest in a club that is pushing boundaries, building something lasting, and setting a new standard for what women’s sports can be both on and off the pitch,” he continued. View this post on...
High school football star Jamier Brown could reportedly rake in more than $100,000 if he were eligible to profit from NIL, ESPN reports. America’s top wide receiver in the class of 2027 cannot earn revenue from his name, image, and likeness (NIL) because the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) does not permit it. Some other states, including North Carolina, have begun to allow high schoolers to profit from NIL. States like Texas have approved bills allowing athletes 17 and up to enter NIL deals but with restrictions, Sports Illustrated reports. Students in Texas will not be able to receive money from NIL until they have enrolled in their named college and are participating in its athletic program. In an effort to encourage Ohio to join these other states, Brown’s mother, Jasmine, filed a lawsuit in Franklin County, believing the OHSAA’s stance on NIL is “outdated and unlawful,” per ESPN. The lawsuit claims that “OHSAA’s blanket ban not only singles out Ohio’s high school...
LeBron James is opening up about his finances. James has a net worth of $1.3 billion — with $900 million attributed to off-court earnings, including his deal with Nike — according to Forbes. However, as the first to establish wealth in his family, he admitted on the “Everybody’s Crazy” podcast — co-hosted by April McDaniel and his wife, Savannah — that it’s not easy to take financial risks when he considers his humble beginnings living in the Akron, OH, projects. “I will take a couple risks on the business side knowing that I can hustle it back or do something else, but also my other side is telling me ‘I’m first generational money maker in my household as far as my family,'” he explained on the podcast. “I always be thinking about where I come from, coming from the projects and in Akron, OH, and not having s—. It’s hard for me sometimes to take risk because if that s— happened or the whole can come off and it’s over with, I’mma be devastated,” he continued. James added that he...
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is expanding his portfolio. 888 Midas As AFROTECH ™ previously reported, Caleb Williams — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — launched investment firm 888 Midas that same year. The firm was created to “capitalize on select alternative investments in private equity, venture capital, and real estate,” notes a Business Wire press release. This fulfilled his desires as both an athlete and businessman, he said in the release . “Athletes are often inundated with and distracted by these opportunities. To eliminate the potential for distraction, it was important to me to immediately set up a business operation with established, trusted partners and advisors I’ve known for years to strategically take advantage of ventures in the global marketplace,” Williams commented. Investing In Boston Legacy Football Club 888 Midas’ latest investment is in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club, Boston Legacy Football Club. According to a news...
A planned international basketball league is gaining momentum. Front Office Sports (FOS) reports that a five-on-five men’s and women’s basketball league, quietly called “Project B,” could launch by the fall of next year with tournaments in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. It will follow the blueprint of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 basketball league, by offering equity to its players. The league’s investment group is led by Skype Co-founder Geoffrey Prentice and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett, reports FOS. Former WNBA player Candace Parker — who recently submitted a bid to bring a WNBA league to Nashville, TN, as AFROTECH™ previously reported — also backs the international league. Tennis players Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens, former WNBA player Alana Beard, ex-NFL quarterback Steve Young, and others are also listed as investors in the international team, per FOS. The league has also secured interest from “some of the game’s most respected athletes,” a spokesperson told FOS....
Russell Westbrook has launched a platform designed to close the digital accounts of the recently deceased. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, NBA players Russell Westbrook and Kemba Walker co-founded Eazewell alongside Donnell Beverly Jr., a former University of Connecticut NCAA player who serves as the company’s CEO. Having personally experienced the grief of losing loved ones, the founders built the platform to support others through similar challenges. Since its launch in May 2025, Eazewell has leveraged AI-powered technology to help more than 100,000 families better manage the complex tasks that follow a death, according to information shared with AFROTECH™ . The platform deploys 24/7 autonomous AI agents and includes assistance with filing paperwork for death certificates and providing financing options for funerals. “Traditional care providers have focused on the bedside, which is essential. Families today inherit more than property, family heirlooms, and money; they inherit an...
Chris Paul has expanded his investment portfolio. Drafted in 2005 by the New Orleans Hornets, Paul has earned $400.9 million in on-court salary, according to Spotrac. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the 12-time NBA All-Star suggested at this year’s American Black Film Festival that his NBA career may be nearing its end. He predicted he would play for a year “at the most.” When Paul’s time on the court concludes, he will have even more time to dedicate to his footprint as an entrepreneur and serial investor. His portfolio includes Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment, a full-service media production company that “specializes in non-scripted and scripted television, digital, documentaries, commercials, and films,” according to the organization’s website. Now, Paul has secured a minority stake in the Angel City Football Club (ACFC). According to a press release, the team is valued at $280 million, making it one of the most valuable women’s sports teams . Paul joins the investment group that...
