Warriors G STEPHEN CURRY and F ANDRE IGUODALA are "launching The Players Technology Summit, which seeks to intersect professional sports with venture capital." The summit is the "latest episode in a recent trend of professional athletes" such as SERENA WILLIAMS, KOBE BRYANT and JOE MONTANA "tapping into Silicon Valley and investing in startups and venture capital investment firms." Last year, Iguodala "spearheaded a tech summit hosted by the NBA players union." The Players Technology Summit will be held Aug. 14-16 and "will happen in an undisclosed place" in S.F. (SILICONBEAT.com, 6/19). Curry is also the co-Founder of the "marketing startup Slyce and an investor in mobile applications like Pinterest while Iguodala is an investor in companies like Thrive Global and The Players Tribune" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 6/19).
FAMILY OF GRINDERS: ESPN analyst JON GRUDEN and his family over the weekend traveled to Minsk, Belarus, where his oldest son, DEUCE, won a gold medal in the junior 183-pound weight class in the IPF World Classic Powerlifting Championships. The 23-year-old played football at Lafayette College and is now an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Redskins under JAY GRUDEN, Jon’s brother (ESPN).
NAMES: Fox NFL analyst JIMMY JOHNSON will be JASON TAYLOR's presenter during his Pro Football HOF induction ceremony on Aug. 5 in Canton. Johnson "was the Dolphins' head coach when they drafted Taylor" in the third round in '97 (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 6/20)....Oakland Mayor LIBBY SCHAAF said that the "pair of tickets she gave away to be auctioned off" for last week's NBA Finals Game 5 netted $35,000 for the city's Emerging 100 initiative for "new 'under-represented' entrepreneurs" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/19)....The game ball from Saturday night’s College World Series LSU-Florida State game will "soon be on its way" to House Majority Whip and avid LSU fan STEVE SCALISE (R-La.), who was shot while practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game last week. LSU Board of Supervisors Chair SCOTT BALLARD has "possession of the ball" and is "expected to travel next to visit Scalise in Washington" (THEADVOCATE.com, 6/19).
