"Last Name Ever, First Name Greatest" 🧬🏆

What LeBron, Ronaldo, and others show us about building something that outlasts your career

Growing up, if you asked me what I wanted to be,

like many kids around the world,

the answer was obvious.

A footballer ⚽

But if I think about it properly…

the real answer is simpler:

An athlete.

Because depending on where I grew up,

the sport I was into probably would’ve been different.

If I was born in the U.S.,

I probably would have said a basketball player 🏀

In another country, maybe something else entirely.

The constant isn’t the sport.

It’s the idea of pushing your body to its highest level.

Of mastering something physical.

Of competing at the very top 🏆

But if I’m honest…

even as an athlete, that wouldn’t be the end.

Sport gives you reach.

And I’d be thinking about how to use that.

To build.

To create something beyond the game.

And you can already see it today.

Athletes aren’t waiting until retirement anymore.

They’re building while they’re still playing.

Which is why what we’re seeing right now

feels bigger than just sport.

What We’re Watching Right Now

The NBA Playoffs are one of the most intense competitions in the world.

16 teams.

Best of 7 series.

Every game matters.

It’s elite performance under pressure.

And still at the centre of it… is LeBron James.

One of the most decorated athletes ever.

4× NBA Champion

4× MVP

Over 20 years at the top

Now 41…

still competing at the highest level.

For many, the greatest of all time.

But this stage of his career feels different.

Because now… his son is in the league.

Bronny James.

Just 21.

On the same team.

And in the middle of a playoff run…

they’re sharing the same stage.

One at the back end of a legendary career…

the other just getting started.

At the highest level.

And when you see moments like that…

it’s special.

The Real Legacy Moment

Let’s pause on that.

It’s already rare for a father and son to both become professional athletes.

Rarer still to compete at the same time.

But to share the same team

at the highest level of the sport?

That’s something else entirely.

In the NBA, it has never been seen before.

And it’s not just a basketball idea.

You hear it across sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, has even spoken about the idea of one day sharing the pitch with his son ⚽

The ambition isn’t new.

But very few ever get close.

But Here’s The Real Question

Is that the ultimate goal?

Or is it just the most visible one?

Because sport shows us legacy in a very specific way:

Same profession

Same stage

Same spotlight

But legacy doesn’t have to look like that.

A Different Type of Passing the Baton

Take Barry Hearn and Eddie Hearn.

If you don’t know them:

Barry Hearn built Matchroom,

one of the most powerful sports promotion businesses in the world.

Eddie Hearn, his son,

stepped into that business

and scaled it globally.

Promoting some of the biggest names in boxing,

including Anthony Joshua 🥊

But also across darts, snooker, and other sports.

And this is where it’s different.

Eddie isn’t the one getting in the ring.

He owns it.

He’s not relying on physical performance.

He’s running the platform behind it.

That’s the shift.

Not just being part of the game…

but owning the structure that the game runs on.

The Real Flex

Because here’s the reality:

In sport, your income is tied to performance.

Your body.

Your output.

Your ability to stay at the top.

And that comes with a shelf life.

That’s what makes athletes like LeBron and Ronaldo so special

they’ve performed at the highest level for longer than anyone expected.

But even that…

has an end.

And they know it.

Which is why they’ve built outside of sport.

Businesses.

Investments.

Ownership.

Things they control.

Because you don’t own your job.

You have a job.

You might be able to help your child get a job.

But you don’t control the platform.

And that’s the difference.

Ownership gives you leverage.

Ownership gives you control.

Ownership is what can actually be passed on.

Final Thought

Playing with your son at the highest level?

Incredible.

But that’s not the only way to pass something on.

Because careers end.

Performance fades.

But what you build outside of that?

That can continue.

That’s the real baton.