Rick Fox took an unconventional path to becoming a startup founder — not least as a three-time NBA champion, taking the crown alongside fellow Los Angeles Lakers players Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Fox retired from basketball after a thirteen-year career. But that doesn’t mean those lessons learned — about teamwork, resilience and competition — didn’t impact his career as the founder of a concrete materials startup. Partana.
“I learned from the teams I was in,” he explained during a one-on-one interview at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. “I learned lessons through winning. It allowed me to build the team we have today. […] Ultimately, their commitment is to change the way we build the world for the betterment of the planet. “We have to go places, leave our families, and fight this battle.”
Fox intimately understands the impacts of climate on communities. He grew up and currently resides in the Bahamas, an area hard hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters. When asked if humanity was too late to stop the climate crisis, Fox recalled an anecdote from his years as a hero.
“We were down by 15 points with about eight minutes left in the game,” he said. “It was game seven and it looked like we were done […] We made a comeback, which at the time seemed like the most insurmountable thing we could do. […] It puts us on the path to winning three championships for the next three years. I don’t know where I would be in life if that moment hadn’t happened. I don’t know where I would have felt those eight minutes of believing that it was never too late, that we could still come back.
The interview was briefly (and thankfully) disrupted by the sudden appearance of Shaq, who came to greet his old friend. Fox said it was this friendship that supported him in more ways than one.
“I’m in a sustainability phase and I have to tell you that my career has survived because of Shaq and Kobe, and [Shaq’s] He said: “On the Disrupt stage because he disrupted the careers of many people with his play.” “So he’s in the right place, too.”
He also offered advice for startup founders who might be considering taking money from an organization or fund (or even a country!) about which they may feel ethically conflicted.
“Ultimately, you will have personal beliefs and systems, the way you live, your personal life, […] And for me, personally, I do the job that needs to be done with my teammates, where the shared goal and mission are bigger than any of my personal opinions.
“I don’t run away from challenges. I’ve always signed up for the greatest challenges I can find in the world. This is one of them.”