When Chris Paul was drafted to the league he turned down a substantial amount of money. The NBA player had been drafted in 2005 as the No. 4 draft pick by the New Orleans Hornets, Fox News reports. He was just 19 years old at the time. During an interview with Forbes, Paul mentioned he had just $151 in his bank account as a college student at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, when he entered the league. One of his earliest actions was to bring on board a financial advisor, which ultimately resulted in him receiving an upfront offer of $100,000. However, his parents interceded, leading Paul to accept nearly a quarter of the initial offer. “My financial advisor who we hired, they said they would send me $100,000 and my parents said, ‘No that’s too much,'” he told Forbes. During an appearance on “The Shop,” he elaborated further stating, “Y ou know what happened? I was at Wake in Winston. I went to the bank right up the street just so I could see what the statement looked...

Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken is heading to his home state of New Jersey. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the former basketball-player-turned-serial- entrepreneur became a co-owner of Big Chicken in 2018 and opened the first location in Las Vegas, NV, alongside his friend Matt Silverman and agent Perry Rogers. Since, thanks in part due to its popular menu items including chicken tenders, various chicken sandwiches, crinkle-cut French fries, and mac n’ cheese, the business has proven to be a success and has adopted a franchise model. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 312 Craves (@312craves) Big Chicken signed a 20-unit development deal in partnership with H&D Group Investments to expand to Michigan in 2023, Franchise Times reports . Prior, a 50-unit deal had been signed to open storefronts in Texas, with locations already springing up in the city of Houston and nearby Richmond. It can also be found in California and on Carnival Cruise ships. View this post on...

Shaquille O’Neal’s Authentic Brands Group (ABG) deal continues to pay off. As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, O’Neal’s agreement with the brand management company in 2015 allowed the group to profit from his name and likeness in merchandise and endorsements. The Hall of Famer joins its roster of other prominent names such as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Jackson. “We’re thrilled to have a true business partner in Shaq,” Nick Woodhouse, ABG president and chief marketing officer, told ESPN at the time. “Through his bigger-than-life personality, he has turned himself into one of the strongest sports brands in the world.” In return for signing onto the deal, O’Neal became ABG’s second-largest shareholder, and to date he credits this as his turning point in business. “My Authentic Brands deal, I was able to ensure that hopefully I can stay around after I’m no longer on this earth,” O’Neal explained to AFROTECH™ . “And I was walking down the street one day and...

Never underestimate the power of a good hobby! Following his retirement from the NBA, Dwyane Wade, like many greats who have since left the league, picked up a new golfing habit, which ultimately led him to become a minority owner in the NBA team Utah Jazz. According to Boardroom, the move made in 2021 by Wade continues to get better with time. When he initially joined the ownership group, the former Miami Heat star saw the team at a valuation of $1.75 billion. Today that number has increased to $3.46 billion, per an April 16 Instagram post by Boardroom. “If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore,” said Wade on social media at the time of the deal. “Second act activated.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Boardroom (@boardroom) The Sporting News reports that the deal was made possible thanks to a friendship between the majority owner, Ryan Smith, and Wade that began on the golf course. Smith, a billionaire whose fortune was...

Dennis Rodman is likely best known for his prolific career with the NBA , showcasing incredible defensive abilities during his 20-year tenure on the court. However, the retired basketball star has gone on to exhibit a host of eccentric accolades in his 62 years on Earth, making him one of the most interesting humans to ever live. Today, Dennis Rodman touts a paltry net worth of only $500,000 according to Watcher Guru , in spite of his multi-million dollar legacy. Rodman sits at this figure for a number of reasons, most notably due to a number of shady business deals that saw his long-time financial advisor embezzling millions from his personal fortune. Despite Dennis Rodman’s lower-than-expected net worth, the retired basketball legend seems to be living comfortably today, and has tons of social credit to fall back on in case he needs additional financial security. Since retiring from the NBA, Rodman has gone on to wrestle at a professional level, appear in numerous film and...

For years, there was a disconnect between the representation of athletes playing on the field or courts and those who made the big decisions for the sports industry. As time evolves, more and more Black athletes continue to dominate the world of sports, particularly in the NBA and NFL. According to data from Statista, Black athletes make up over 70% of active NBA players during the 2023 season. For the NFL, Statista further reports that a bit more than 56% of players in 2022 were Black athletes. Although the percentage of Black players is disproportionately lower in other major sports leagues such as the MLB (6.2%) or the NHL (less than 5%), the push and impact of Black players can be felt across the entire sports landscape. The increased diversification throughout sports as an industry, some would argue, necessitated the need for more decision-makers in executive roles — primarily team ownership. In 2002, the barrier was broken as the founder of BET, Robert “Bob” Johnson, became...

Skims continues to take the correct steps in the business world.