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Stephon Marbury had a tumultuous basketball profession. He went from being hailed as a franchise savior in New Jersey to being lambasted as a scapegoat by his hometown New York Knicks. This all occurred transferring abroad to play in China, the place he grew to become revered like a god.
However all through all of the ups and downs, one factor remained in keeping with Marbury — his capacity to market himself. From Brooklyn to Beijing, the Coney Island child has at all times carried a singular swagger and stayed in contact along with his roots.
He grew to become the primary NBA participant to endorse avenue ball model AND 1, and launched the corporate into a brand new stratosphere of cultural relevance along with his flashy play model and bravado. He turned his iconic nickname, Starbury, right into a bona fide model, dominating headlines in 2006.
Now, as chief model officer of Chamelo Eyewear, Marbury is channeling that very same cultural clout and business savvy into a brand new area.
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Futuristic imaginative and prescient
Chamelo’s aren’t simply any outdated sun shades. They do not simply block UV rays or make you look cool — you may modify the tint, change colours and even hearken to music or take calls. Whereas the tech itself is not model new, Chamelo has leveled it up, slicing the shade-change time down to simply 0.9 seconds, in comparison with so long as eight minutes on different platforms.
“What we’re doing is thrilling as a result of it is one thing new to the world,” Marbury says. “We have got Prismatic lenses that shift between 4 totally different colours. No person’s ever seen that earlier than. And while you’re a part of one thing that is by no means been executed earlier than, and it is a win-win for everybody, that is particular.”
Marbury was first launched to Chamelo’s tech on the Jockey Membership in Hong Kong, the place he met founder Fenghua Li, an avid basketball fan.
“Inside the first 5 minutes, he confirmed me the glasses, and I used to be like, wait — try this once more,” Marbury remembers. “I would by no means seen something prefer it.”
Sensing the chance, Marbury instantly expressed curiosity in serving to Chamelo increase into the U.S. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than the 2 reconnected in Malibu and commenced constructing the enterprise.
Li sought out Marbury not only for his advertising and marketing prowess, however his legendary standing in China, the place he received three CBA championships for the Beijing Royal Fighters, turning into one of many nation’s most beloved athletes.
“He figured doing enterprise with me in America could be simple,” Marbury says. “I mentioned, look, it is not vital for folks to know my function — it is extra vital that we construct this up and present those who the following wave of future expertise is right here.”
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Collaboration and teamwork
Although Marbury desires Chamelo to carve out its lane within the eyewear industry, he additionally emphasizes the significance of collaboration.
“We need to be associates with everyone so everybody can make the most of our expertise,” he says. Since becoming a member of the corporate as chief model officer, Marbury has led a number of inventive advertising and marketing initiatives, together with a limited-edition “Knicks Aura” sun shades assortment, a take care of China Obligation Free Group, and a partnership with New York Mets legend Jose Reyes.
“It was love at first sight,” says Reyes. “Their model and lens color-changing expertise jogged my memory of how I used to play. I might completely put on them in a recreation.”
As Chamelo’s first official ambassador, Reyes labored intently with the model to co-design a brand new sun shades assortment set to debut all through 2025.
“I used to be hands-on with the design, paying shut consideration to the small print,” he says. “My model might be amplified on this assortment.”
An entrepreneurial previous
Chamelo is not Marbury’s first enterprise into consumer products. Practically 20 years in the past, he launched Starbury, a footwear model that made headlines for its $15 sneakers and dedication to affordability.
“Starbury was an excellent crash course,” Marbury says. “I bought to be taught the American market at a difficult time.”
Regardless of early buzz, the model pale after its unique retail companion, Steve & Barry’s, filed for chapter through the 2009 monetary disaster. The expertise taught Marbury a precious lesson about management: “It is higher to have the whole lot in place and construct a enterprise the place you will be vertical,” he says.
Whereas Marbury’s aim with the Starbury sneakers was to make high quality footwear extra accessible for youths, some critics misinterpret the low value level as an indication of low high quality. With Chamelo, he is taking a extra strategic strategy, following a “good-better-best” pricing mannequin.
“I at all times attempt to have one thing for everyone,” he says. “Our subsequent step is creating an reasonably priced pair of glasses so children can expertise and experiment with the expertise.”
In his quick time as chief model officer, Marbury has infused Chamelo along with his signature swagger and unmistakable New York edge, serving to the model stand out in a crowded market.
“We really feel privileged and grateful that when folks stroll into sure shops and see Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace, and Prada, additionally they see little outdated us,” he says.
With latest partnerships alongside the New York Knicks and Jose Reyes, Chamelo’s future is barely getting brighter. Good factor the shades are adjustable.
Stephon Marbury had a tumultuous basketball profession. He went from being hailed as a franchise savior in New Jersey to being lambasted as a scapegoat by his hometown New York Knicks. This all occurred transferring abroad to play in China, the place he grew to become revered like a god.
However all through all of the ups and downs, one factor remained in keeping with Marbury — his capacity to market himself. From Brooklyn to Beijing, the Coney Island child has at all times carried a singular swagger and stayed in contact along with his roots.
He grew to become the primary NBA participant to endorse avenue ball model AND 1, and launched the corporate into a brand new stratosphere of cultural relevance along with his flashy play model and bravado. He turned his iconic nickname, Starbury, right into a bona fide model, dominating headlines in 2006.
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