What Makes a Real MVP NBA superstar Kevin Durant's manager and business partner talks about personal branding and working hard.

By David Meltzer

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Rich Kleiman is Kevin Durant's manager as well as his co-founder and business partner in Thirty Five Ventures, a startup that invests in tech companies. In this episode of #ThePlaybook, Kleiman talks with host David Meltzer about how his role and relationship with Durant has shifted over the years, how professional athletes are taking control of their personal brands and the importance of being known for the work you do.

Kleiman talks about why he no longer views himself as a sports agent and how his role has grown with time. He also talks about how today's biggest athletes are taking more charge of their brands and messaging than ever before.

Kleiman relates his experience of hearing Durant's famous MVP speech and how that moment inspired him to step up his work ethic. He also talks about the importance of being regarded for the work he does.

Related: The Three Things a Startup Needs
David Meltzer

Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, Speaker, Author and Business Coach

David Meltzer, co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and host of BIZ Experiences's podcast, “The Playbook”, is a Top 100 Business Coach, global public speaker and three-time international best-selling author who has been honored by Variety as “Sports Humanitarian of the Year”.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

By Amanda Breen
Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

By Eve Gumpel
Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

By Carl Stoffers
Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

By Ray Titus
Data & Recovery

We Found Four of the Top Alternatives to Dropbox That Don't Have Monthly Subscription Fees

All last for life, and not one of them is more than $200.

By BIZ Experiences Store
Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.

By Sherin Shibu