Sports
Candace Parker shares her vision as president of Adidas Women’s Basketball
Candace Parker has made the transition from the basketball court to the C-suite. As the newly appointed president of adidas Women’s Basketball, the WNBA legend shares her vision for the brand.
Parker first partnered with Adidas in 2008 as a brand ambassador during her 16-year WNBA profession, and was quick to share her historic promotion after announcing her retirement earlier this yr.
With this latest enterprise, the 38-year-old hopes to prove she is a game-changer who will elevate the brand. Despite being a pioneer in the ladies’s basketball division with the Exhibit Select series, becoming a dominant force stays a challenge. She revealed that she spent hours with the Adidas team attempting to discover the corporate’s next era.
“We have conversations every day about, ‘Are we defining (that products are for) women? Are we doing this for?’” Parker said. “What is our ultimate goal and our mission?”
She added: “When we started thinking, I just want to continue to grow the game in any way I can. I’m not playing anymore, but what does that look like? It’s a credit to my team, who are really good at thinking ahead about how we can organically and authentically think about partnerships that have been a part of my career for a long time… Coming back to the basketball court, it was always about how I can have a bigger impact. I bleed the Three Stripes and I hope I’m synonymous with Adidas and vice versa. How can we do that together?”
Parker and Adidas share a typical goal of elevating women’s sports and athletes, and so they wish to prove that girls have the influence and marketing power to take the corporate to latest heights.
“You see the power and influence of female athletes and women in leadership,” she shared. “The main conversations were about the importance of brand, how can we best position ourselves to lead on that. As a brand, we’ve always been at the forefront. Adidas went from sponsoring the league to having a deep roster.”
That deep roster includes newcomers A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, arguably not among the many WNBA’s best players. But Parker wants to construct those relationships to have a transformative impact in the long term.
She added: “There’s a lot of scrutiny that comes with being an athlete. Not to mention being a signature athlete. So we have to make sure that we’re able to provide that person with the resources to be successful… Women have been at the forefront and have been leading fashion for a very long time. Hopefully, we can create something futuristic and invest the brand’s marketing dollars into it to make sure it’s successful.”
While Parker still has an extended approach to go, her mission to steer adidas and ladies’s basketball will soon repay.
“My impact probably won’t be felt until next fall (2025) because the footwear and campaigns are planned so far into the future,” she said. “Where do we want to be as a brand in two to three years? We’re working backwards to get there.”
Sports
Fear of God Athletics enters the amateur basketball portal thanks to cooperation with Overtime Elite
In collaboration with Adidas, dressmaker and founder of Fear of God Athletics Jerry Lorenzo has officially entered recent territory. Fear of God Athletics might be represented as the eighth team in the Atlanta Overtime Elite (OTE) youth basketball league.
According to a press release, Team Athletics might be equipped with performance uniforms and footwear designed by Fear of God Athletics throughout the 2024-25 season, representing, as the label puts it, “a commitment to the next generation of athletes.” It all began off victorious when the team defeated consecutive champions OTE City Reapers 97-90 at the OTE Arena, debuting on November 8 in recent uniforms and shoes.
“Giving back and being an example of what is possible for young men and women in the next generation is fueled by the fear of God,” said Lorenzo, son of former MLB player, coach and manager Jerry Manuel, during a fireplace chat with the former NBA player Matt Barnes at the partnership announcement event on November 7. “I grew up in a sports family. My dad did well in the big leagues. Now he works with Major League Baseball to bring top (African-American) talent back to baseball. It’s simply in our family to give back to the youth.”
“Jerry’s values and morals and what he stands for are consistent with what we are about in our program,” says Fear of God Athletics coach Cilk McSweeney, who joins the team after coaching Calvary Christian Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for 12 years, he said.
The collaboration comes just weeks before the December release of the Adidas x Fear of God II Basketball, Fear of God’s first true performance sneaker. The shoe has already appeared in NBA games, as has Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent I wore it in lots of games this season.
The recent model is a continuation of the Adidas x Fear of God I model, which premiered in December 2023. Similarly, the Fear of God I model, worn by the players, was presented basketball teams from the University of Indiana and the University of Miamibut just for one game. Fear of God and Overtime Elite’s partnership is meant to be long-term and construct on the latter’s mission to equip basketball players ages 16-20 with the resources they need to take their talents to the next level through non-traditional pathways that emphasize academic acceleration and economic strengthening.
“Connecting with (Fear of God) provides greater exposure to our league and it is a common cause for them,” said Damien Wilkins, general manager and head of basketball at OTE. His role includes connecting the league with brands and providing players with exposure. “I also think it’s great for our players as well, as Fear of God is certainly popular with this age group. All our boys wear it anyway, so it made sense.
“I am very excited about the possibilities that can come from being a part of this relationship” – Shon Abaev, Fear of God Athletics senior point guard, currently ranked No. 29 on the ESPN 100 2025 highschool recruits listhe said. “I’ve already worn Fear of God and Essentials. I’m grateful to be able to wear the (Fear Of God Athletics) shoes on the court.”
Sports
Klay Thompson: ‘There’s no point in looking back’ on Golden State Warriors tenure
DENVER – For the Golden State Warriors and their fans, the return of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson on Tuesday will likely be a celebration of one in all the best players in franchise history.
As for the brand new Dallas Mavericks defenseman, it doesn’t appear like his first game in the Bay Area against his old team has been circled on his calendar.
“This chapter is over,” Thompson told Andscape after the Mavericks’ 122-120 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. “I’m in the technique of attempting to win here. There’s no point in losing anything when we’ve such a fantastic opportunity here to be great. There’s no point in looking back…
“I have to look to the future. I have to try to give it my all.”
The Warriors chosen Thompson with the eleventh pick in the 2011 NBA draft out of Washington State. The five-time NBA All-Star averaged 19.6 points and three.1 three-pointers per game over 11 seasons with the Warriors. Playing with the Warriors in Oakland, California and San Francisco, Thompson won 4 NBA championships and played in six NBA Finals.
Thompson is sixth in Warriors history in points (15,531), fourth in games played (793) and second behind Stephen Curry in three-pointers made with 2,481. He scored 60 points in 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016 and set an NBA record 14 three-pointers in a game against the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2018.
With the early-season matchup against the Warriors looming, Thompson told Andscape he did not have time to reflect on his accomplishments.
“I appreciate it, but I’m still trying to keep going and keep winning here,” Thompson said Sunday during his postgame press conference.
In recent years, the Warriors have rewarded Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and current Washington Wizards goaltender Jordan Poole with latest contract extensions. Thompson, who missed 2019-2021 attributable to injury, didn’t reach the terms of his contract extension despite being eligible to play last season and have become an unrestricted free agent in June. The two-time All-NBA player averaged 17.9 points for the Warriors last season, his lowest scoring average because the 2012-13 season. After contract talks with Golden State stalled, the 34-year-old agreed to a three-year contract price $50 million against the Mavericks on July 1.
Asked if there was anything he was most dissatisfied about his departure, Thompson told Andscape: “Honestly, not really. This is what it looks like.”
While the Warriors missed the playoffs in the 2023-24 season, the Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals with stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. By signing with the Mavericks, Thompson joined a team that was the Western Conference champion while the Warriors seemed to be in decline.
However, Curry, Green and the Warriors began this season 8-2, tied with the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder for the perfect record in the West. The Mavericks are 5-5 and Thompson is third on the team in scoring (14.2 points per game).
Thompson told Andscape he’s confident this will likely be a “special” season for the Mavs.
“We have real experience and a chance to win,” Thompson said. “I do know we’re .500 immediately and we’re playing mediocre basketball. But in my experience, the season is long and you will have to peak at the suitable moment…
“You have to keep going, keep your emotions and stay the course. Keep a smile on your face. It’s a long (season). We have a chance to be special.”
Curry, Thompson and Green were amongst essentially the most successful trios in NBA history. He and the Warriors won 4 NBA championships with a combined 518 regular-season and playoff victories. Their 98 playoff wins rank third in NBA history amongst three-team teams, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Information research.
Has Thompson been in contact with Curry and Green?
“I’m locked up. Probably not,” Thompson told Andscape. “I’ll see them after I see them. That’s all.”
Thompson was beloved in the Bay Area for all the time being himself. Thompson threw paper airplanes constituted of boxes on the media after post-match press conferences and was well-known for having an English bulldog named Rocco who was pictured next to him in an motion figure doll handed out at a Warriors home game. He earned the nickname “Captain Klay” for sailing his boat across the San Francisco Bay to games on the Chase Center after the Warriors moved from Oakland to San Francisco in 2019.
Thompson told Andscape that the one thing he misses in regards to the Bay Area is “the water,” but he has no plans to take his boat to Tuesday’s game.
Golden State is looking Tuesday’s game against Dallas a “Captain Klay Salute.” Before introducing Thompson, the Warriors will play a one-minute tribute video. Curry is anticipated to deliver a speech in honor of Thompson, and all fans attending the sport will receive a white captain’s hat with the Warriors logo to tip their hat to Thompson in the course of the introduction. The Warriors have said they plan to retire Thompson’s No. 11 jersey sooner or later.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Sunday. “I feel all of us are. It will likely be very emotional. I do know our fans are ready for it and might’t wait to see Klay.
“I think it’s good news for the fans. Bravo for that,” Thompson said Sunday.
Coincidentally, this can be the primary NBA Cup game for the Warriors and Mavericks. Thompson was excited in regards to the second edition of the intraseason tournament, with the ultimate 4 going down in Las Vegas in December.
“Obviously it will be good to see the people you raced against,” Thompson said Sunday. “For me, it’s just one other November regular season game. Of course, the NBA Cup has greater implications. So it’s in our minds to win it.
Despite all of the Warriors’ plans and anticipated excitement, Thompson doesn’t think he’ll be distracted by all of the hype in his honor. He also told Andscape that he doesn’t expect his return to be emotional.
Why?
“I’ve been playing basketball a long time,” Thompson said Sunday. “Basketball is basketball.”
Sports
The best Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match “Experience” will earn you $2 million
If you need to get the fine quality MVP of the upcoming fight between Jake Paul and Hall of Fame boxer Mike Tyson, you’ll should spend $2 million to get it.
According to , Elevate has designed an exclusive premium package called “MVP owner experience” to accommodate two people in a non-public suite situated lower than six feet from the ring.
According to the consulting company, that is the closest place to sit down to the ring, ever approved by Texas state regulators and equipped with high-quality leather seats.
Package covers a visit to the locker room before the fight with Paul and Tyson, a probability to look on stage on the pre-fight weigh-in, gloves autographed by each boxers, security and private concierge services during fight week.
There are also 4 seats in the primary two rows on the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which seats 80,000.
Elevate and Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, which he co-founded with Nakisa Bidarian in 2021, have teamed as much as sell the MVP owner experience and other hospitality packages for the fight.
Time will tell if the fight itself justifies this particular price tag. Tyson has already indicated that yes cannot see distance combat unless he has to chase his prey.
“If I don’t have to catch him, you can expect a knockout in the first round,” Tyson said at an October news conference. “But I might have to catch him because I expect this guy to run away from me.”
Tyson also indicated that he has largely change into a greater person in retirement than he was as an lively fighter.
“When I was fighting professionally, I was too stressed,” Tyson said. “I never had a probability to loosen up or benefit from the championship because every little thing was going against me. There were lawsuits and divorces. I actually have never enjoyed being a human being. This is the moment once I can enjoy myself as a human being. I actually have higher life skills now than I did in combat.
The fight will be streamed survive Netflix on November 15 and in accordance with , it exists as a part of the streaming giant’s $5 billion bet on live sports broadcastsheadlined by the agreement with TKO, the parent company of WWE and TKO, which will stream “Raw” (formerly “Monday Night Raw”) on Netflix, but will also acquire international rights to “Smackdown”, “WrestleMania”, “SummerSlam” for Netflix ” and “Royal Rumble.”
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