Former NBA All-Star Michael Redd has joined the ADvantage Sports Tech Fund as a venture partner. The fund is backed by Israeli crowdfunding platform OurCrowd and leAD Sports, a German accelerator founded by the grandsons of Adidas founder Adi Dassler.
Redd will be based in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and will target investments into sports data-related startups focused on improving athlete performance and wellness. During an 11-season run with the Milwaukee Bucks, the high-scoring shooting guard was names to the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2003-04 and won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at Beijing 2008. But Redd tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee in early 2009, and re-tore those ligaments a year later.
“I reflect on how many injuries ultimately derailed my career,” Redd said in a press release. “The potential today for the right mix of technologies and data to prolong and enhance the playing days of professionals and amateurs alike, can unlock human potential and underpin and enormous industry.”
Over the past six years, Redd has invested in more than 85 companies as part of his role as an angel investor and partner at Third Wave Digital, a VC firm focused on digital media. Redd is scheduled to participate in the upcoming OurCrowd Global Investor Summit on Feb. 13 in Jerusalem.
