PJ Tucker Honors Virgil Abloh with Off-Whites
PJ Tucker appreciates beautifully designed sneakers, and on Monday he paid homage to one of the best to ever do it. In the Heat’s win over the Nuggets, Tucker honored Virgil Abloh with the Off-White Jordan 5s, which he customized with messages, including “Virgil will always be here” and “Thanks for a lifetime of inspiration.”
Gatorade Signs Paige Bueckers as First NIL Athlete
Paige Buckets continues to splash. The UConn sophomore and AP Player of the Year made history off the court on Monday, becoming the first college athlete to sign a Gatorade NIL endorsement deal. As part of their work together, Bueckers will help the legendary brand grow the game of women’s basketball. This is Bueckers’ second major NIL deal; she announced a partnership with StockX earlier this month.
Messi, Putellas Take Home Coveted Ballon D’Or
PSG’s Lionel Messi was called as the winner of the Ballon D’Or, soccer’s most prestigious prize, on Monday for a record-setting seventh time. Barcelona Femení and Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas took home the women’s award for her incredible efforts in securing Barcelona its first-ever Champions League prize.
Jack Dorsey Announces Twitter Departure, Could Crypto Be His Next Frontier?
In the letter announcing his exit, Dorsey noted he believed it was time for the company to “move on from its founders.” While Dorsey didn’t confirm his next steps, many believe that he will lean heavily into the cryptocurrency space and spearhead innovation through his other venture, digital payment company Square. He will be replaced by Parag Agrawal who has served as the social media company’s CTO since 2017 and has been with the company for over a decade.
Click here to listen to Jack Dorsey on the OOO Pod earlier this year.
Harbaugh Promises Incentive Pay to Michigan Employees Impacted by COVID
Today marks Giving Tuesday, and for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, he jumpstarted his commemoration of the event a little early. On Monday, Harbaugh told Jon Jansen on his “Inside Michigan Football” radio program that he will donate his incentive pay – which could total as much as $3.5 million – back to the athletic department to be distributed among employees whose salaries were impacted by COVID.
Tiger Woods Rules Out Full-time Return to PGA Tour
In his first sit-down interview since a car accident nearly resulted in him losing his leg, Tiger Woods told Golf Digest that he hopes to return to the Tour for occasional appearances, but that his time as a full-time participant is up. The five-time Masters Champion cited Ben Hogan – who also sustained major injuries in a car crash and played part-time for the remainder of his career – as a model of how he envisions his future. Woods will make his first public appearance at the Hero World Challenge, a 20-person tournament that takes place in the Bahamas and benefits his foundation.
Man City Links with Sony to Prepare for Leap into the Metaverse
Man City has a long history of being on the frontlines of fan engagement, and on Tuesday, the legendary soccer club announced a new global partnership with Sony. Together, they will develop first-of-its-kind fan engagement opportunities, including a digital community where fans can interact with the team via the metaverse.
Howard University Basketball Nets a Team-Wide NIL Deal
The whole Bison men’s basketball team has partnered with College HUNKS Hauling Junk, they announced on Monday. The deal is the first team-wide NIL deal for an HBCU. This is not, however, the first NIL deal for the moving company, which previously inked partnerships with the San Diego State football team, UCF women’s basketball team, and Miami Hurricanes quarterback D’Eriq King.
Von Miller Announced as Personal Corner’s Next Founding Athlete
Earlier this year, Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant announced the launch of Personal Corner, a platform that provides a one-stop, turnkey solution for athletes anywhere from high school to pro to take ownership of their personal brands. Von Miller is the brand’s newest founding athlete, Bryant announced on Monday.
Prepare to Enter the Matrix with NFT Drop
The last day of November marks your chance to claim a digital piece of the Matrix. Nifty and Warner Brothers are dropping the limited collection of 100,000, which was designed with Epic Game’s MetaHuman Creator. The coolest part? After 30 days, owners will have the choice to take a red pill that would transform the artwork.
Complexity Gaming Launches “Complexity Stars”
Complexity Gaming, a GameSquare Esports subsidiary, is launching Complexity Stars, an all-new gaming division that will bring professional athletes, pop culture and entertainment figures, and gaming under one umbrella to provide new ways for stars to enhance their profiles through content creation, brand activations, and tournament competition. Athletes participating in the project include Dallas Wings shooting guard Allisha Gray, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette, and Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Edwin Ríos.