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Houston Dash athlete Michelle Alozie is an inspiration. Higher Learning Journey The Nigerian is marrying her passion for sports with a career in medicine. As a former Yale University student, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology in 2019, according to her LinkedIn. She also played for the Ivy League’s soccer team, Yale Bulldogs, scoring 19 goals and logging 13 assists across her three seasons, per information shared by the Houston Dash News. Her accolades on the team included Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors and first-team All-Conference recognition. When she transitioned to the University of Tennessee to pursue a master’s degree in sports psychology and motor behavior, she played for one year with the Tennessee Volunteers, ESPN mentions. Going Pro In 2021, she signed on to join the Houston Dash (National Women’s Soccer League). According to the team website, Alozie was awarded a two-year contract extension beginning on...
Bobby Wagner is already laying the groundwork for a lasting legacy beyond the field. Wagner was drafted to the NFL in 2012 by the Seattle Seahawks and now represents the Washington Commanders. According to Spotrac, the linebacker has earned $109.5 million over his career so far. Wagner also served as his own agent to negotiate his last four contracts, such as a five-year deal valued at $65 million with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, CNBC reports. Now, it appears Wagner is working to increase his business acumen as a student at Howard University, notes The Dig at Howard University. He is enrolled in the HBCU’s Master of Business Administration program. Additionally, Howard is the only HBCU listed on Bloomberg Businessweek’s top business schools in the U.S. “There is a lot of excitement around having a prominent NFL player and someone who is doing great things off the field choose Howard University as his institution of choice,” said Mariko Carson, Ed.D., director of graduate affairs...
NBA player Jalen Williams is paying it forward to his parents. Williams was drafted into the league in 2022 by the Oklahoma City Thunder as a 12th overall pick, notes ESPN. He was signed to a four-year rookie contract valued at $20.3 million, data from Spotrac reveals . That milestone felt like a natural next step as Williams had long believed the league was within reach due to affirmations instilled in him by his parents, according to Andscape. “I would say my parents were big on if I wanted to get to the NBA, I could,” Williams recalled to the outlet. “From when I was young, I knew what I wanted to do, so I always had a good support system in regard to that. There was never a time that I didn’t think I could.” NBA Championship Fast forward to 2025, and Williams has already secured the league’s most coveted honor as the team won the 2025 NBA Championship during Game 7 on June 22, 2025, at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, NBC mentions . Williams was instrumental in the team’s stretch...
Odell Beckham Jr. has no regrets with going against the grain. Decision To Accept Bitcoin In 2021 As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Beckham made the decision in 2021 to accept bitcoin as the form of payment for his contract at the time with the Los Angeles Rams, in partnership with Cash App. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of Russell Okung, who was the first player in the NFL to be paid in bitcoin. In fact, Okung reportedly agreed to receive half of his $13 million salary at the time ($6.5 million) in the form of bitcoin, which was later worth $20 million by 2024, according to Bleacher Report. As for Beckham’s investment, he reportedly received a $750,000 payout from the Rams, which was converted into bitcoin, a separate article from the Bleacher Report mentions. To commemorate the announcement, Beckham Jr. also gave money to his fans in the form of bitcoin. “It’s a NEW ERA and to kick that off I’m hyped to announce that I’m taking my new salary in Bitcoin thanks to Cash...
Chris Paul’s plant-based venture is making its way into another major retailer. In 2019, the NBA player, who was in his 15th season at the time, made the decision to adopt a plant-based diet, GQ reports. While the initial switch was performance-driven, he made the change indefinite after noticing a reduction in routine inflammation and body aches, along with improved stats on the court. “It’s been a good lifestyle change for me,” he told the outlet. Paul, who according to Spotrac has reached $400.9 million in career earnings, has also made plant-based living a central part of his business strategy. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he invested in Black-owned plant-based brand Misha’s, which is also backed by Jay-Z. In 2021, Paul also struck a deal with digital delivery service GoPuff to expand its “Better For You” product category in the interest of making plant-based products more accessible. A year later, this led to Good Eat’n being introduced with offerings such as chips,...
Former Carolina Panther player Mike Rucker filed a lawsuit against his financial advisor, Jon Kubler, claiming that Kubler mismanaged nearly $3 million of his earnings. Rucker and his wife, Kristina, filed a lawsuit in a North Carolina Business Court in March, alleging that they had unknowingly invested in a Ponzi scheme. The couple, who met Kubler while Rucker was playing football for the University of Nebraska, claims that Kubler persuaded them to invest in his Nebraska commercial real estate company Aksarben in 2009, according to The Charlotte Observer. They say the investment was a failure and that Kubler did not return their funds or money from other investors. Of the $5.6 million Kubler and his companies — including Steelpool Inc. and Capital Synergy Partners — had raised for commercial real estate companies, only 4% of the funds were reportedly invested in the ventures. Kubler had been the Ruckers’ financial advisor for 21 years and in the early 2000s had “integrated himself...
Federal authorities are investigating former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley’s alleged involvement in wire fraud, gambling, and illegal prop betting, according to ESPN. The allegations stem from Beasley’s time playing for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-2024 season, sources told the outlet, with the focus on “unusually heavy betting interest on Beasley’s statistics” starting in January 2024. A gambling industry source shared that o ne or more prominent U.S. sportsbooks noticed the activity. The 18-month investigation is being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Beasley’s lawyer Steve Haney told The Detroit News. “It’s a gambling investigation involving Malik. No criminal charges have been issued. It’s nothing but an investigation and Malik is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Haney said, per the outlet. The investigation has reportedly resulted in the Pistons withdrawing a three-year, $42 million contract offer to Beasley. While...
NBA superstar LeBron James has partnered with Swiss luxury watch company Richard Mille for a good cause. The Los Angeles Lakers athlete and Richie Millie debuted a limited-edition watch called the Richard Mille’s RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph LeBron James. The watch, which had only 150 pieces, sold out within hours of its debut at Fanatics Fest, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. The watch pays homage to James being named the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer on Feb. 7, 2023, a record previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to ESPN. Additionally, the design choice of yellow and green accents is an ode to the LeBron James Family Foundation. Photo Credit: LRMR Ventures The James Foundation was launched in 2004 and exists to “positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives,” AFROTECH™ previously reported. The foundation’s imprint can be found in Akron, OH, James’ hometown. In 2017,...
NFL player Sauce Gardner has partnered with a company that is improving player safety. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, New York Jets cornerback Gardner is teaming up with Q30 Innovations, a company within the medical equipment manufacturing industry that has released Q-Collar, “the first and only FDA-cleared device to reduce traumatic brain injury.” This followed more than a decade of work, which included 25 pre-clinical and clinical studies with design and production occurring alongside neuroscientists, physicians, independent researchers, and engineers before it was cleared by the FDA in 2021, its website mentions. Photo Credit: Q30 Innovations The device creates light pressure to the neck to increase the blood volume inside the head, which helps reduce the brain’s movement if it receives a direct blow. That movement is often the main cause of brain injury, per the company’s website. Gardner purchased the device because he was in search of preventative measures...
The third-most valuable Michael Jordan trading card has sold at auction. JOOPITER The rare card has made its way to JOOPITER, an auction house owned by Virginia legend and award-winning music producer Pharrell Williams. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Williams had been a serial collector and launched the platform in 2022 “to embrace the energy that is released when objects change hands, and to respect the value that’s been created around these objects.” “Joopiter was founded to not only introduce a new voice into the auction landscape, but to recalibrate what it means to be a collector… We are excited to bring these objects to the world,” Williams said , according to WWD. Signed 1986-87 Jordan Card JOOPITER’s latest auction item was a signed 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card, according to information shared on Instagram. Jordan’s card had been one of nine trading cards that he signed back in 2024 on his private golf course in Florida, per the auction’s page. The card...
Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks point guard, has donated to support the construction of a center that will educate the youth. There is an active GoFundMe that was launched to commemorate the legacy of Tamir Rice, A 12-year-old Black boy who was shot and killed by Timothy Loehmann, a white police officer, in 2014 at the Cudell Park Recreation Center in Cleveland. The child had been playing with a “toy black airsoft pistol with a removable magazine” at the time, a news release reports. A Center In His Legacy Samira Rice, Tamir’s mother, has made the GoFundMe to raise funds in support of a new center in his honor to empower the youth through arts and education, notes Complex. She’s asking for $23 donations to commemorate what would have been Tamir’s 23rd birthday. The project has a $110,000 target and has already raised $92,717 (at the time of this writing). With over 1,000 people contributing, Irving made a significant donation towards the project, committing $50,000. “I miss my son so...
As college athletes begin profiting earlier in their careers, they’re also making smarter decisions sooner. Many college athletes have been able to directly profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) after NCAA members approved an interim policy in 2021. All three NCAA divisions suspended NIL restrictions for incoming and current student-athletes, AFROTECH™ reported; this includes VJ Edgecombe, a 2025 NBA first-round draft pick, who earned $1.4 million in NIL deals thanks to partnerships with Panini America and PSD Underwear. The top college basketball earner is AJ Dybantsa, who has a $4.1 million NIL valuation while representing the Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougars, AFROTECH™ previously reported. College athletes aren’t just pocketing earnings for short-term gain; they’re thinking long-term and making strategic financial moves well before going pro. Quarterbacks LaNorris Sellers (University of South Carolina) and Kevin Jennings (Southern Methodist University) recently...
VJ Edgecombe, a 2025 NBA draft pick, isn’t taking his positioning for granted. Edgecombe was drafted on Wednesday to the Philadelphia 76ers during the first round as a third overall pick, according to CBS Sports. The moment was emotional for Edgecombe as he reflected on his upbringing. He was born and raised in Bimini, a small island in the Bahamas, according to WHYY. He told NBA reporter Taylor Rooks that his family struggled, lived without electricity for seven years, and had to rely on a generator. “See what she had to go through to feed us? It’s crazy… My mind [is] everywhere right now,” he told Rooks. Basketball is now his saving grace. Edgecombe moved to the U.S. in the ninth grade and completed his senior year of high school at Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, NY, per USA Today. In college, he played basketball at Baylor University and made a name for himself, averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, Sports Spectrum reported. His talents...
New changes are underway for professional basketball star Kevin Durant on and off the court. Durant is experiencing shifts within his expanding business portfolio. Durant is now an investor in the Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), having purchased a minority stake through Boardroom Sports Holdings, his investment arm established alongside his business partner, Rich Kleiman, according to Sports Illustrated. He signed the deal with Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), PSG’s majority shareholder. “QSI is pleased to welcome Kevin Durant as a direct shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain and strategic partner of our group,” QSI Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a company press release. “We continually seek to elevate the club and our broader portfolio through high-impact partnerships that bring strategic value, innovation, and global perspective. Together with Kevin, we look forward to developing ambitious initiatives that will drive the continued global growth of Paris...
Dwyane Wade has widened his footprint in the sneaker space. Way of Wade In 2012, the three-time NBA champion launched the Way of Wade brand, alongside Li-Ning, a Chinese athletic apparel and footwear brand founded in 1990 by Olympic champion gymnast Li Ning, its website notes. Within a year of forming the partnership, six signature shoes launched, and now the Way of Wade brand is in its 10th iteration. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WAY OF WADE by Dwyane Wade (@wayofwade) Expanding Globally Wade plans to scale Way of Wade through global sneaker platform KICKS CREW after becoming its latest investor, according to Sports Illustrated. This will unlock increased support in product development, marketing, and international distribution. Wade will still retain creative and operational control of his brand. “KICKS CREW is redefining what it means to empower athletes. This isn’t just about selling sneakers—it’s about ownership, control, and building something that lasts,” Wade...
