Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. When thinking about AI , your mind may not immediately go to the NBA, but the truth is that the basketball league has embraced the technology for years. The NBA first embraced the technology to help staff and players better analyze the game to improve individual player and team performance. The system used is called player tracking, implemented during the 2013-2014 NBA season, as reported by the Sports Video Group. The NBA sets up cameras at every stadium and then processes the captured information through its software, which analyzes and extracts data on all players who touch the court; this helps players, coaches, and organizations make better decisions about gameplay and the overall strategy for the team. Analyzing the game to make better decisions is one thing, but one of the most important places to have technology play a role is in the health of players, as they play through the season and...

Jalen Hurts’ triumph in Super Bowl LIX isn’t just another notch in the NFL record books — it’s a cultural moment that hits differently. According to Biography, Hurts has become the fourth Black quarterback to secure the coveted title, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with legends like Doug Williams, Russell Wilson, and Patrick Mahomes. This isn’t just about touchdowns and trophies; it’s about breaking barriers, shifting narratives, and showing up unapologetically Black and excellent. Jalen Hurts Takes It Beyond The End Zone Only eight Black quarterbacks have started in a Super Bowl, which speaks volumes about the systemic hurdles not just baked into the game but ingrained in the very making of the league. Hurts’ victory isn’t random; it results from years of grind, grit, and grace. His performance, crowned with the Super Bowl LIX MVP title, wasn’t just about athletic skill — it was a masterclass in leadership, strategy, and keeping cool under pressure. Now, here’s where the 26-year-old...

Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has made a name for himself as one of the most respected and successful coaches in NFL history. As of recent estimates, Mike Tomlin’s net worth is approximately $30 million . His wealth comes primarily from his coaching career, lucrative contracts, endorsements, and other ventures. Coaching Career And Salary Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Tomlin became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007, making history as one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, which he did in 2009. Throughout his tenure with the Steelers, Tomlin has been one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. His annual salary is reportedly around $8 to $12 million, making up the bulk of Tomlin’s net worth and total earnings. As a coach, Tomlin has never had a losing season, never getting below .500 in his 17 seasons coaching the Steelers. His record as a coach is 173-100-2, planting him firmly as the most successful Steelers...

Stephen A. Smith knows his worth. The ESPN sports journalist and host of “First Take” is currently signed to an annual $12 million deal with the network that will be intact until June 2025.  As previously shared by AFROTECH™, his salary includes an $8 million yearly salary and a $4-million-per-year production contract. Furthermore, with talks of renegotiations on the table, it has been rumored that Smith is seeking a $100 million contract to remain with the network for an additional five years. Recently, he addressed those rumors during a taping of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace” on Max. He was asked by Wallace, “Your ESPN contract is, what we’re told, up next year and the word on the street is, you want something in the range of $100 million for five years. True?” While Smith did not confirm whether there was any truth behind these numbers, he did confirm he is looking to be paid his worth. “I’m not getting specific as it pertains to numbers, because only a fool discusses his own...

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...

Angel Reese is among a trio of powerhouse Black women who are now investors in the DC Power Football Club. The Maryland native and current Chicago Sky player is already making strategic business moves in her rookie year. In May 2024 Reese joined an ownership group for the  DC Power Football Club, a new professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, DC, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “I want to help grow women’s sports and elevate female athletes across the board,” Reese said in a statement, per Sportico. “We’re taking over, and I’m honored to be able to support Power FC and invest in women’s soccer in the DMV community.” Jason Levien, D.C. United’s CEO and co-chairman, commented: “Angel’s decision to be a founding investor alongside us in Power FC is groundbreaking. As a Maryland native, Angel is so passionate about being a catalyst for positive change in women’s sports in the DMV as well as globally while inspiring the next generation of female athletes. We’re looking...

It’s been two decades since Fantasia Barrino’s “American Idol” win. The Grammy Award-winning singer was crowned in the show’s third season in 2004, at just 19 years old. In the finale, she had three standout performances including “All My Life,” “I Believe,” and “Summertime,” which was also performed earlier in the season and is the song she believes changed America’s heart towards her. “For me, going back to ‘Summertime,’ it means a lot because that’s the song that made people change their mind on me. When I first was on ‘American Idol,’ you’re thinking someone who’s clean, polished, who has somewhat of a perfect story, and I do not have that,” she told AFROTECH™. “I was already a young mom. I had already been speaking about how I got there.”   An ode to that special moment in time for Barrino, she is reimagining “Summertime,” collaborating with music director and producer Adam Blackstone — known for his work with Rihanna, Jay-Z, Janet Jackson, and Jazmine Sullivan — in its latest...

Being in the NFL shifted Brandon Copeland’s perspective on money. Entrepreneur reports Copeland was raised in an environment that supported his journey in sports as a child. However it came because his mother chose not to spend money on extras like soda from a fast food restaurant or candy at the store. His understanding of money would be shaped while he attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and interned at Union Bank of Switzerland, but it was further strengthened when he signed on to play for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens in 2013. The league’s Players Association informed him about benefits that include a matched 401(k). “I had to make it to the Baltimore Ravens to learn what a 401(k) is,” Copeland told the outlet. “This is a tool that most people who interact with an employer may have the ability to use, but who taught my mom about a 401(k)? Who taught my brother about a 401(k)? Who taught anyone I love about these things that are just real facts of...