Kobe Bryant is teaming up to launch an athleisure brand called Art of Sport, which will be a "direct-to-consumer line of body products developed to help athletes reach peak performance and maintain healthy skin on and off the playing field," according to Marcy Medina of WOMEN's WEAR DAILY. AOS will be "engineered for athletes and aimed at the mass market, with an eye toward capturing teens and college-age men." AOS co-Founders Brian Lee and Matthias Metternich knew they "needed to partner with world-class athletes" to develop the product and "bring it worldwide attention." That led to Bryant's involvement. He "met Lee a couple of years ago through mutual friends" and eventually joined the venture as a founding partner. The trio has "built a team of athlete ambassadors (all with ownership stakes as well)" that include Rockets G James Harden, Cubs 2B Javier Báez, Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, surfer Sage Erickson, motocross racer Ken Roczen and skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. The launch includes an "activated charcoal and shea butter bar soap sold in a two-pack, a deodorant and antiperspirant, a 2-in-1 hair and body wash, and an SPF 50 sunscreen lotion" (WWD.com, 10/3).
DEVELOPING A BUSINESS MINDSET: USA TODAY's Martin Rogers noted Bryant "enjoys business ... but admits it strains the impatient side of his personality at times." Bryant during his NBA career "never shied away from the work, but similarly never had to wait too long to experience either the payoff or the failure." Bryant: "The drive and fire are still strong, but it is different now. The results are clearer in sports. If you play a game Monday night you know how you played on Monday night. A championship, you win or you don’t. In business it is much more patient. You have to be able to look at the long view, understand where that finish line is. Understand that things are moving constantly. But every single day working at chipping that tree" (USATODAY.com, 10/3).
