Table of Contents

• From the court to catwalk shows, basketball stars …

• Lessons from F1 Red Bull’s pit stops for business …

• Top Tickers

• FT Partners Q1 2024 FinTech Insights Report: Recor …

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From the court to catwalk shows, basketball stars are scoring big in the fashion world

NBA stars are turning pre-game tunnel walks into a style showcase

Basketball players’ style—largely in the men’s league, but increasingly the women’s too—has become a bonafide pillar in fashion media and consumption. This is in large part due to the ascent in popularity around “tunnel walks,” the pre-game arrival routine that has, in recent years, turned into something of a para-runway show. Players including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Josh Giddey, Tyler Herro and many, many more have all stamped out their own aesthetic in and through these “walks,” and huge audiences eyeball their every wardrobe move.

A few weeks ago Andrew Petcash wrote a great piece about the “Basketball-ization of other sports”, about the deep culture stemming from basketball and how other sports are trying to replicate it. Here, Andrew also elaborated on how the sport is embedded in culture. In general, the intersection of sports and style isn't just about clothes—it's about branding, with athletes influencing fashion on a global scale. The growth of social media amplifies their impact, making NBA fashion a significant niche in the style industry.

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Lessons from F1 Red Bull’s pit stops for business leaders

The precision of a pit stop: Deepening team expertise and perfecting execution

Red Bull Racing, renowned for their pit stop precision, demonstrates how meticulous planning and flawless execution can lead to unmatched consistency and success—principles that are just as applicable in the business world. In the high-stakes realm of Formula 1, Red Bull Racing has turned pit stops into an art form, seamlessly blending speed with precision—much like what's required in today's business environment. Their consistent performance, winning the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award six times, mirrors the excellence business leaders aspire to in corporate dynamics.

Key takeaways for business leaders (and elite athletes to better understand how their pro sports experiences can benefit the business world):

1. Team choreography: Perfect synchronization in pit stops highlights the importance of teamwork in business, where each role is critical to the overall success.

2. Continuous improvement: Red Bull’s commitment to practice and feedback informs how businesses can enhance performance through relentless refinement and innovation.

3. Leadership under pressure: The role of leaders in high-pressure situations can make or break the team's success, similar to the strategic decisions made during crucial pit stops.

As Jonathan Wheatley, Red Bull’s Sporting Director, put it: “Your perfect pitstop involves everyone having that perfect two seconds.” These two seconds also exist in business…

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Top Tickers

Some of the most active and relevant securities and quotes (compared to previous day's closing price)

FT Partners Q1 2024 FinTech Insights Report: Record number of crypto deals

Crypto was a surprising bright spot in an otherwise slow fintech fundraising market

According to the FT Partners Q1 2024 FinTech Insights Report, private financing to fintech startups fell to its lowest quarterly dollar volume in six years. Despite the substantial drop in funding volume, bright spots in private company financing activity shone through—the number of capital raises increased both sequentially and year-over-year, recording 945 new deals and the Crypto & Blockchain sector reached a new record for quarterly deal count, FT Partners data shows.

According the data, investors are willing to place more—albeit, smaller—bets on crypto startups after funding plunged last year. Crypto startups garnered a record 300 capital raises—the highest number of deals in the quarter. Here, the median financing size for crypto deals in Q1 was $3.7 million, still down significantly from the $6.2 million at the sector's height in Q2 2022.

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Okay, what else? Well, Eminem posted on social media, "You know what it's always been" and #FFTB. And, as you know, FFTB or "Fortune Favors the Brave," is the Crypto.com slogan. Does this mean celebrity crypto sponsorships back?

“Crypto.com has become one of the most recognized global brands by partnering with iconic people, places, and events,” and the latest commercial “reiterates our deep conviction for our industry and the community building it responsibly,” CMO Steven Kalifowitz said in a statement.

“You know what it’s always been,” Eminem wrote in a post on X, sharing the commercial that features his narration over a video of a fighter preparing for a match. The ad, according to The Block, was set to premiere Saturday during the Lakers-Nuggets playoff game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and it will be seen during upcoming sporting events including the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and a UFC fight.

Feel free to enjoy the rest of your day as much as possible!

Irg

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