EX-NBA hopeful, Lanny Smith, has launched a sportswear brand, Actively Black, to challenge the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Reebok.
The former 6-foot-3 guard started thinking about his own business venture after an injury prematurely ended his athletic career.
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Ex-NBA hopeful Lanny Smith has launched sportswear brand, Actively Black to challenge the industry giantsCredit: Getty
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A knee injury derailed Smith’s career after he played college basketball at the University of Houston for five yearsCredit: Getty
Smith, 38, went undrafted in 2008 after playing college basketball at the University of Houston for five years.
After a spell in the G League, he signed with the Sacramento Kings before the start of the 2009-10 NBA season.
But just a month later, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery – and ended his NBA hopes.
Some 11 years later, triggered by George Floyd’s death, Smith launched Actively Black after finding major companies making hollow promises to support the push for racial justice.
And so, the ex-hooper took matters into his own hands.
“I took the mindset that it was time for us to stop asking for a seat at the table, Smith told CNBC earlier in 2023.
“And we were going to build our own table,” Smith says.
He added: “A lot of these sports apparel brands have profited off of Black talent,” referring to endorsement deals with Black athletes.
“[The companies] have profited off of the consumerism from the Black community.
“And I felt like they hadn’t adequately reinvested back into the Black community.”
On its official website, Actively Black promises to “uplift and re-invest back into the Black community and to improve the mental health and physical fitness of our people.”
The company also notes that “we are not building an apparel brand. The clothes are just the uniform for the movement.”
The brand was reportedly valued at $30million in 2021.
NBA star, Steph Curry, and former US President Barack Obama have been spotted wearing Actively Black clothes and accessories.
The sportswear manufacturer also made Nigeria’s official uniforms for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
In the US, Actively Black focuses on endorsement deals with Black college athletes.
The brand sponsors Colorado Buffaloes stars Shilo and Shedeur Sanders as well as Travis Hunter, among others.
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