If there is a discussion about debut appearances, 2003 has to be a part of the conversation. This time period was when Beyoncé became a solo artist and released “Crazy in Love,” and the NBA draft class welcomed what would become two of the league’s most impactful players, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Fast forward 20 years, and each person’s cultural standing is out of this world. However, for Anthony, an active part of his legacy has ended with announcing his retirement from professional basketball. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) Carmelo Anthony was born in Brooklyn, NY, and leveraged his basketball talents to begin a collegiate career at Syracuse University. During his freshman year at the institution, Anthony became a breakout star, leading the team to its first and only to date NCAA men’s basketball tournament championship. The collegiate stardom would translate to Anthony’s NBA career. As the third pick by the Denver Nuggets,...

The Jordan Brand has officially signed its first collegiate athlete. On Oct. 31, the company announced that Kiki Rice has become the Jordan Brand’s first name, image, and likeness (NIL) athlete.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Kiki Rice (@kiki.rice)

Carmelo Anthony has met his twin with the help of technology. During Collision, a global tech conference in Toronto, Anthony took the stage to soft launch “Digital Melo” alongside Soul Machines CEO Greg Cross. Their relationship dates back to 2021 when the pair first inked a partnership to develop his autonomously animated digital twin. Soul Machines used Melo’s likeness, personality, and voice coupled with animation to create a personalized encounter that would not be possible in real-time for fans.

Investment firms are a necessary part of the business world. But did you know that these celebrities helm up their own? From a tennis legend to several rappers, these twelve celebs are redefining what the names and faces of investment firms look like. No longer tied to “old-money white wealth” like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank Of New York Mellon, these celebrities have proven that investments made back into the Black community pay off in much larger dividends…and cultivate goodwill in the long run. For example, Karan Wadhera — the managing partner for Snoop Dogg’s Casa Verde — even left his position in the “traditional” investment firm world to work with the legendary Doggfather on his venture. He told TechCrunch that he was driven to do so to shift people’s focus onto things that weren’t getting enough attention at the time (in Casa Verde’s case, Black ownership and cannabis investment). “We have a decent-size checkbook and a fairly high profile in this space, so we see...

It’s always good to see athletes using their platforms to fight for justice and change. This week, NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade launched the Social Change Fund to offer more financial support and resources in the Black community while also addressing issues like public safety and criminal justice reform, according to The Hollywood Reporter . https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8fyvdHqcJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link The three athletes have banded together to put their money behind concrete action. “Our mission is to address social and economic justice issues facing Black communities and break down the discriminatory barriers to success,” Paul said in an Instagram post . “The Social Change Fund will help advance racial equality and opportunity.” Additionally, the fund is acting on behalf of the Black community in America who has gone unheard and mistreated in response to our demands for justice. “When all else fails to organize us, conditions will,” Anthony said in...