This episode of The Shop caught headlines prior to its air date. California Governor, Gavin Newsome, signed bill SB 206 into law. This allows NCAA athletes in the state the right to accept endorsements. Newsome very passionately shared that the gig is up. The NCAA earns $14 billion a year off of their athletes, and yet the talent that keeps these athletic programs running, get nothing. Cheers to a new beginning!
Featured on this episode of The Shop was: LeBron James, Bill Hader (Actor), Rick Rubin (Co-Founder Def Jams), Diddy (Rapper), Jerrod Carmichael (Comedian), Maverick Carter (CEO Uninterrupted) , Rich Paul, Paul Rivera, Demar Derozan (NBA).
The conversation started by celebrating Diddy’s contribution to the music business, and business as a whole.
From Jerrod to Maverick, praises rang. Diddy said his goal was to change the narrative. He was black, young, hungry, and wanted to represent the culture through his entrepreneurial skills. And that’s what brings many people together; ambition. No matter what space each of these men occupy, their drive allows them to share and exist in The Shop as authorities on success. This is really where this series shines. LeBron blends all of their skills, highlights their strengths, and we can see why this series was created.
Bill shared what it was like to leave SNL to follow his dream to be a director. He experienced anxiety and uncertainty but knew it was time to go. Demar continued by talking about getting traded to the Raptors and the anxiousness that came with that. Like many athletes before him, it seems pretty common that trades come from nowhere and athletes on The Shop are vocal about their experience. Demar was no different. But, after letting things get settled, he was able to recognize the value in the trade and found the silver lining in it. And that’s what many of us understand. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Even though his worst isn’t as bad as many of ours could be, he still was dealt a hand that forced him to step up for himself in a way he never had to before.
Work ethic. Bill Hader recalls seeing Steve Martin practice his monologue for an SNL taping and having an “ah-ha” moment – this takes practice! Performers show up, but there’s work that happens behind the scenes that make magic happen on the screen. Diddy chimed in and shares a conversation he had with Rick Rubin on boundaries. In order to find success, you have to be intentional and have boundaries in place day-to-day. Rubin continued by sharing that passion is what lead to his success. Hip Hop was underground and not mainstream. It was all a dream, and a push, and it eventually worked out. And that’s what makes stellar athletes shine versus their colleagues. Some athletes lack work ethic and are content with being on a roster, but others want greatness attached to agility and success.
LeBron talked about not making the playoffs for the first time. He shared that he got to shoot Space Jam, and still found a way to watch every single playoff game. The best thing about this was LeBron ranting about long set days, and Jerrod and Bill sharing the waiting game and unseen parts of the craft. Diddy carried the conversation by talking about making an album and the journey in remaining relevant. LeBron nodded heavily when Diddy mentioned he never tries to quantify or measure his success by what people say he should do or where they say he should be, instead, he contemplates and moves in his own way.
Although no women were present during the primary conversation, it was good to have LeBron back. This episode had a good amount of people, but not many of them actively contributing to the conversation. There were minutes where LeBron had nothing to say. But, like any barbershop across the country, conversations go up and down, and the people who have the biggest opinions or experience tend to speak most. Until next time, enjoy this clip of Diddy offering advice for artists.
