Joe Pompliano Profile picture
Oct 4, 2020 β€’ 8 tweets β€’ 3 min read β€’ Read on X
Most people say they are willing to do whatever it takes, regardless of what others think, to be successful β€” but are they really?

One athlete epitomized this concept.

Time for a thread πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡
1) Rick Barry, who spent time in both the NBA & ABA, retired in 1980 as one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history.

Resume
- 12x All-Star
- Over 25,000 Points
- 9x All-NBA/ABA 1st Team

The most interesting part?

He's remembered for something much more unique.
2) Despite being an excellent player, Rick Barry struggled with free throws in high school.

His father recommended he start shooting them underhanded, but Barry was concerned he would be made fun of.

His dad's response?

"They can't make fun of you if you're making them.”
3) After seeing initial success, Rick Barry continued to shoot free throws underhanded throughout his career.

Upon retirement in 1980, Barry's 90% career FT percentage was the best in NBA history.

But why don't more NBA players use his technique?

They have too much pride...
4) Wilt Chamberlain, a dominant NBA player, was a historically bad free throw shooter.

The one year he shot underhand, Chamberlain made 61% β€” a career high.

Who wouldn't try it?

Shaquille O'Neal β€” who said "I’d rather shoot 0% than shoot underhand. I'm too cool for that."
5) Whether it's in sports, business, or just everyday life, people are always willing and able to say "I'll do whatever it takes."

But when it comes down to it?

All too often, few ever actually will.
6) Always remember...

The sooner you stop caring what other people think, the better off you are.

Don't ever allow the opinion of others to get in the way of you accomplishing your dreams, no matter how many times they give it.
If you enjoyed this thread, you should:

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2. Subscribe to my free daily newsletter where I give detailed analysis on topics involving the money and business behind sports.

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More from @JoePompliano

Mar 1
The 2024 Formula 1 calendar is insane:

β€’ 24 races
β€’ 21 countries
β€’ 5 continents
β€’ 180+ hours of flights

Teams will travel 75,000 miles & transport 1,500 tons of equipment.

This makes it a logistical nightmare, so here's a breakdown of how Formula 1 pulls it off.

THREAD πŸ‘‡
1) The simplest way to explain Formula 1 logistics is by breaking the calendar into two parts:

β€’ European Races
β€’ Flyaway Races

Let's start with European Races.
2) European races are self-explanatory β€” these are races that take place in Europe.

Examples:
β€’ Monaco
β€’ Monza
β€’ Zandvoort
β€’ Silverstone
β€’ Spa

These races are easier and cheaper logistically because everything is transported by trucks rather than planes and boats. Image
Read 16 tweets
Feb 7
Apple Music pays the NFL $50 million annually to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show.

But Usher won't get any of that money.

Instead, he'll perform for free, leveraging the exposure to gain followers, sell tickets, and increase streaming numbers.

Here's how it works πŸ‘‡ Image
1) Some of the world's most famous artists have performed at the Super Bowl:

β€’ Prince
β€’Β Michael Jackson
β€’ Bruce Springsteen
β€’ Beyonce
β€’ Justin Timberlake
β€’ The Rolling Stones
β€’Β Rihanna

But NONE of these artists were paid. Image
2) Here's how the financials work:

β€’ NFL signs a $50M sponsorship deal
β€’ Artists get a ~$15 million production budget

This budget covers 2,000 to 3,000 part-time workers, including set design, security, dancers, and marketing.

But artists don't get any of the money.
Read 11 tweets
Jan 27
My favorite sports business story involves two brothers turning $1 million into $800 million as basketball team owners without ever owning an NBA team.

It's a masterclass in leverage, long-term thinking, and the power of equity and ownership.

Here's the crazy story πŸ‘‡ Image
1) The story starts with Ozzie & Daniel Silna.

The two brothers were born in New Jersey after their parents immigrated from Latvia in the 1930s.

They worked at their dad's small textile business, but when he sold the company, they started manufacturing polyester in the 1960s.
2) As polyester sales skyrocketed throughout the 1960s, Ozzie & Daniel Silna's business grew.

So they used $1 million in profit to buy the ABA’s failing Carolina Cougars in 1974.

They then moved the team to Saint Louis and rebranded as the Saint Louis Spirits. Image
Read 12 tweets
Jun 13, 2023
I asked my audience: "What is the best sports book you've ever read?" β€” and received more than 1,000 responses.

Here are the Top 10 πŸ‘‡

1) Open, an autobiography by Andre Agassi.

Everyone needs to read this, seriously. Image
2) Moneyball by Michael Lewis

This book follows the Oakland A's historic 2002 season β€”Β 103 wins with one of the lowest budgets in MLB β€”and details how the Athletics pioneered the use of analytics and advanced statistics.

This is a must-read, plain & simple. Image
3) The Score Takes Care Of Itself

This book breaks down the leadership lessons Bill Walsh installed as head coach of the 49ers, taking the team from a 2-14 record to Super Bowl Champions in just 2 years.

It's full of great stories.

And it's so good that I've read it 3-4 times. Image
Read 12 tweets
May 31, 2023
Conor McGregor in 2007:

β€’ Working as a plumber
β€’ Living with his parents
β€’ Thousands of dollars in debt
β€’ Cashing $235 welfare checks

But now, @TheNotoriousMMA has made over $600 million and is one of the world's highest-paid athletes.

This is his WILD story πŸ‘‡ Image
1) McGregor's story reads like a Hollywood script.

He was a 12-year-old boy growing up in Crumlin, Ireland, who started taking boxing classes after being bullied by kids at school.

"Things like this happened a few times, so I thought, f**k this. I am going to go and train." ImageImage
2) McGregor started training at the Crumlin Boxing Club.

But then he discovered MMA at 16 and fully committed his life to the sport.

McGregor would watch delayed recordings of UFC fights and then practice the moves in his backyard.

But there was a problem. Image
Read 14 tweets
Apr 27, 2023
The NFL Draft is a MASSIVE event:

β€’ $3 million construction cost
β€’ $100 million economic impact
β€’ 10 million viewers and 300,000 fans

But it wasn't always this big.

ESPN *made* it this big.

Here's the fascinating story πŸ‘‡ Image
1) The NFL didn't have a draft for its first 14 years.

But Eagles owner Bert Bell got tired of losing β€” the best college players signed with the best teams β€” and pitched an idea to level the playing field.

And the NFL draft was born.

However, it looked different back then. Image
2) The first NFL Draft was held in 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.

β€’ Draft picks written on a chalkboard
β€’ Only 81 players selected (262 today)

Even crazier?

That year's #1 pick, Heisman winner Jay Berwanger, turned down the NFL to become a salesman instead. Image
Read 11 tweets

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