“Once upon a time that’s how it was. It was like, ‘Give me my money, no matter the leadership behind [a brand],’” he said. But as social media and consumer savvy have evolved, athletes have gotten more selective about their partners to avoid “tarnishing” their own image.
He’s chosen his own deals wisely, including an established deal with Jordan and Nike, and State Farm—which took his profile to “a whole other level.”
“The reach that [State Farm] had, and the commercials themselves, just gave me a chance to show personality,” he said. The team also encouraged him to bring on board fellow talent like Kevin Garnett and John Stockton. “It was cool to bring people along and have them be a part of these campaigns.”
He’s still figuring out his work-life balance
The multihyphenate was candid that, even after a 21-year NBA career, he’s still figuring out how to juggle family, business and life beyond basketball.
“There’s really no such thing as work-life balance,” he said. “I think it just depends on what day it is.”
For most of his career, he revealed, he’s not been fully present outside the court, even at family dinners, because his mind was already racing ahead to training and recovery routines.
Now, in what he calls his “newfound life,” he’s trying to be intentional about whatever he’s committed to in a given day, whether that’s a meeting in Cannes or sitting in the stands at his kids’ games.
