Coming into the NBA, most players usually earn millions. But there are horror stories aplenty of players not being able to have a hold of that money due to their lavish spending sprees. But a few invest their money to grow it. James Harden once listened to a Kobe Bryant advice which helped him along the way.
The former league MVP had a lot of endorsements due to his unreal basketball play. That along with his Max contracts ensured he was not going to run out of money anytime soon. However, he also wanted to grow his money and looked towards investment opportunities.
The superstar was invited to be a guest on the podcast Earn Your Leisure, a YouTube channel that works to educate people on finance. Considering the near $400 million in salary he has earned so far, the hosts asked him about any advice he received from veterans coming into the league.
Kobe basically was like, ‘We going to put a stash of $5 million and then any business opportunities…. we going to put a pot together and we just going to invest our money’. Body Armor was the beginning of that. I put 500 grand into Body Armor, and it got a good amount of money back.
James Harden on Earn Your Leisure
Harden added that Kobe Bryant had invested $8 million into the sports drink brand. At the time of his death, the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s investment ballooned to $200 million. Then Coca Cola bought the company for $5.6 billion.
James Harden Invested $500K in Body Armor on Kobe’s Advice-7 Years Later, It Sold for $5.6 Billion.
Our conversation with @jharden13 drops today at 6 PM EST /3 PM PST on @earnyourleisure YouTube channel and all podcast outlets pic.twitter.com/VCPY5vw3P1
— Earn Your Leisure (@EarnYourLeisure) November 21, 2024
The 35-year-old claimed Bryant’s investment at the time of the sale was $450 million. By that calculation, James Harden possibly earned more than $28 million from his investment, an unreal return after eight years.
James Harden invested further on advice from Jay-Z
Kobe Bryant might have helped James Harden make a lot with his investment in Body Armor. But more than that, it opened doors for the Los Angeles Clippers superstar to channel money to other investments. When the podcasts hosts asked him about how relationships helped him invest in certain companies, he said.
Money is very very important. But relationships is just as important. Cause you never know when an opportunity might present itself. The Beard Club opportunity came to me from Jay-Z.
James Harden on Earn Your Leisure
His investment in The Beard Club came after the rapper informed him of the opportunity, just like how the Los Angeles Lakers great did with the Body Armor deal. He is a brand ambassador for the company. James Harden also has partnerships with Fanatic, and investments in certain other places.
For someone who has earned millions from the game, to be actively involved in growing his portfolio, was a sound decision, unlike many players who end up being broke later in life. Kobe Bryant did leave the superstar with a vision.
