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Vince Carter says he leaned on fellow NBA player Grant Hill when he was pursuing team ownership. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Hill is the owner of several teams. He has a minority stake in the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), Orlando City (Soccer Club), Orlando Pride ( National Women’s Soccer League) , and Baltimore Orioles ( MLB) . Therefore, when it came time for Carter to act on his desire for team ownership, Hill was top of mind. “Grant’s been in a situation where he’s a good friend for a long time and right there in Atlanta (GA). So, my neighbor, ” Carter told Front Office Sports. “He was, in that entire process, somebody that I leaned on, that we talked to because he’s good friends with T-Mac (Tracy McGrady) as well. So we talked to him from the beginning of this process on what we were looking for, what they were looking for, how to go about it and just kind of just listening. He’s like that big brother that I’ve been through a lot with. What better guy than him to ask?” In December...
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...
Houston,TX, native and 32-time Grammy award-winning recording artist Beyoncé put on a halftime show performance at the NFL’s Christmas Day football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. She performed several hits from her most recent album, “ Cowbo y Carter” which pays homage to the often-forgotten Black history of country music . Mrs. Knowles-Carter, dressed in all-white cowboy regalia, sat atop a white horse led by a Black cowboy for her grand entrance onto the field. She was joined by backup dancers and the third-ward Texas Southern University marching band, Ocean of Soul. They delivered a “ Homecoming” -esque show that featured songs like “Blackbiird,” “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” and “Leviis Jeans,” which she collaborated with Post Malone, Shaboozey , Tanner Adell, Britney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts on. As noted by Forbes, Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” World Tour earned over $600 million in revenue. While she has yet to announce concert dates for her “Cowboy...
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...
Former NBA teammates and Hall of Famers Tracy McGrady and Vinca Carter have invested in the Buffalo Bill’s organization, which is currently valued at $4.2 billion, per Forbes. According to a post shared on the team’s official Instagram account, the Bills announced 10 limited partners to join the franchise, marking the first time the team has added limited partners. According to ABC News, the group was approved on Dec. 11, 2024, by owners Terry and Kim Pegula, who purchased the team for $1.4 billion in 2014 and will retain a 79% stake. The Buffalo Bills’ ownership group now includes three former Black professional athletes: McGrady, Carter, and former U.S. Men’s National Team soccer player Jozy Altidore. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) Check out the breakdown below. McGrady McGrady is no stranger to the world of business. After retiring from the league in 2013 with $130 million in career earnings, he expanded his portfolio into real estate,...
Russell Okung has no regrets about deciding to be paid in bitcoin. The two-time Pro Bowler previously played for the Carolina Panthers when he made history as the first NFL player to receive part of his salary in bitcoin, according to Sports Illustrated. In 2020, he decided to accept half of his $13 million salary in bitcoin, converting the $6.5 million at market rates and receiving 240 bitcoins. no more broke athletes. no more lost generational wealth. pay me in bitcoin pic.twitter.com/ZqTM0Y1fsC — OKUNG 🐆 (@RussellOkung) November 13, 2024 “I’m looking at Bitcoin. I’m talking to this young kid, young Silicon Valley type. We’re talking about me being paid in Bitcoin. I’m giving ’em the vision, but how will we do it,” Okung recalled in a video clip shared on X. “They’re not willing to adjust the collective bargaining agreement between the players and the owners. So what can I do to get the Carolina Panthers to play ball? Here’s the power of Bitcoin with U.S. dollars. You have to rely...
Jayden Daniels’ mother, Regina Jackson, has followed in her son’s NFL footsteps, but in a different capacity as a certified sports agent . Jackson passed the NFL Players Association’s agent exam in late July, officially becoming an NFLPA-certified agent within the past month. Based on conversations around the league, CBS Sports reported that she is likely the first parent of a top-three NFL draft pick to earn the certification. “For her, taking the agent’s test is because she wants to be knowledgeable and helping her son and guiding him through his NFL career,” Denise White, a public relations expert who works with the Daniels family, told CBS Sports. “It’s important for her to have all that knowledge so she can give her son guidance, which will help him focus on the field and she can help focus off the field for him.” While Jackson is now a certified agent, she is not one of Daniels’ official representatives. The Washington Commanders quarterback is represented by four agents from...
Many NFL players shine on the field, but not all translate that success into thriving businesses — Zaire Franklin is making it happen. The Indianapolis Colts linebacker has teamed up with his longtime mentor, Eric Taylor, to open a Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard franchise. Taylor was coaching youth football in Philadelphia, PA, when he met a 9-year-old Franklin, and their bond quickly developed. While he acknowledges that it may sound “crazy” for an adult to have much in common with a younger person, that’s exactly what it was like when he met Franklin. “I think the basis and foundation of our relationship comes with the love of our grandmothers,” Taylor shared in an interview with AFROTECH™ . “At the time, when Zaire was a young guy, his grandmother was instrumental in his life. She was at all the football games, she was very supportive.” Taylor had a similar bond with his own grandmother, so when Franklin lost both his mother and grandmother just months apart in 2013, their...
Jaylen Brown has designed courses that champion STEM education to empower students. As the founder of the 7uice Foundation, he aims to create better educational outcomes for underserved youth of color, with support from institutions, organizations, and social change leaders, its website mentions. Its four pillars include: Entrepreneurship and financial literacy Health and wellness Leadership and activism Sustainability and technology The foundation also offers a Bridge Program in partnership with MIT’s Media Lab with a four-day camp held during the summer for students in eighth through 12th grade. Brown designed a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) curriculum for the program, which includes space exploration, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence, as he revealed during a conversation on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” “I designed a curriculum over at MIT pretty much every summer… I take kids from Dorchester, from Roxbury, from underrepresented...
Former NFL player Terrell Davis had to get rid of an accountant for being unethical. During an interview with AFROTECH™, the two-time Super Bowl champion reflects on early financial decisions he made during his foray into the league. He had been drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1995 and entered into a three-year deal, worth $484,000, which included a $38,000 signing bonus, per Spotrac. “When I first got into the league, there was no financial education. It was just trying to figure things out the best way you could and that was it,” he mentioned. “There was no one who came up to me and told me, ‘Here’s the plan. Let’s do X, let’s do Y, let’s do Z.’ There was none of that. So I had to look around and just watch people and see what they were doing.” Among Davis’ lessons included the importance of hiring the right team to help him navigate the business of being an athlete. Early on, he worked with an advisor, who he was referred to by another individual. It became clear the advisor...
When Malcolm Jenkins secured stake in England’s Burnley FC, he made history in the process. Sports Illustrated reported the three-time Pro Bowl safety became an investor — through Malcolm INC and Disrupt Sports Partners — in the Burnley, Lancashire-based professional team within the English Premier League (EPL) back in 2021. He joined the new ownership group, ALK Capital. Jenkins, playing for the New Orleans Saints at the time, saw the opportunity as a perfect alignment to values that have been central to his business portfolio, noted a press release. He pointed to the club’s “tenacity, work ethic, good sportsmanship and efficient operational infrastructure.” His decision was finalized following a visit to the team’s Turf Moor stadium in England before watching the team, nicknamed “The Clarets,” play against Manchester City. “I think the club’s doing a great job with some of the updates around the stadium and to see the vision of where they want to go in creating a venue that’s not...
Reggie Bush is taking legal action against several organizations he claims failed to acknowledge his contributions when they benefited from his name, image, and likeness (NIL) . According to ESPN, Bush, a former USC running back and 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, announced the lawsuit on Monday against the university, the Pac-12, and the NCAA . His legal team claims the organizations profited significantly from Bush’s popularity through TV contracts, merchandise sales, and media rights — even after he went to the NFL. “This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush,” said attorney Evan Selik, per the outlet. “It’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated, and treated fairly for their contributions.” Bush completed his college football career and entered the NFL draft in 2006, when the New Orleans Saints selected him as...
History was made on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, as the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders faced off in the first NFL game featuring women-led teams. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, The Raiders are led by Sandra Douglass Morgan, the first Black and Asian woman to serve as an NFL team president, taking over from Dan Ventrelle. The Panthers are led by Kristi Coleman, who replaced Tom Glick as president. The Panthers defeated the Raiders 36-22 on Sunday. Photo Credit: Louis Grasse Coleman was named president in February 2022, followed by Morgan in July of that year. According to the Raiders, the two women have formed a strong professional relationship over the past two seasons, with Morgan even joining Coleman for the Panthers’ International Women’s Day celebration in 2023. “You do feel a little bit more comfortable when you have someone else you can call,” Coleman shared, per the Panthers. “While Charlotte and Vegas are obviously two very different markets, the role and what you’re...
Marquise Brown doesn’t want to have any regrets when his NFL career comes to an end. The Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver has met with various retired NFL players, and it has served as a reminder of what he can do now to maximize his time in the league. Brown was drafted in 2019 by the Baltimore Ravens as a 25th pick in the first round, the NFL mentioned. He then played for the Arizona Cardinals and now is on the Kansas City Chiefs’ roster, signed to a one-year, $7 million contract, which includes a $3 million signing bonus and $6.5 million guaranteed, per Spotrac. He intends on leveraging his contracts to create a better life for himself, family, and other players in the league considering life beyond the field. “I got pulled aside by so many retired NFL legends talking to me about what they should have done differently, what they wish they did. With me being in the league, I don’t want to be a guy to do this when I’m done. I want to be a guy to do this now. Not just for my...
Denver Broncos fans are investing into outside linebacker Baron Browning. Browning has been tied to the team since he was drafted to the league in 2021. He was the 105th overall pick in the third round, notes NFL.com. He is signed to a four-year deal worth $4,785,852, which includes a $840,620 signing bonus and $840,620 guaranteed, according to Spotrac. After draft day, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said , “He’s a good athlete, runs really well, and has versatility. We like his speed and like his athleticism. We think he will be a major contributor on special teams and compete for one of the linebacker spots.” Fans are also placing their faith and dollars into Browning. The 6-foot-3 linebacker has aligned himself with Vestible, an athlete investment platform that allows individuals to purchase shares in an athlete’s career or journey, their website states. This can permit fans to invest according to their own perception of an athlete’s worth and influence on their teams. View this...