Jaylen Brown backs out of $50 million deal to launch his own clothing brand

How to launch a new brand when you’re facing competitors with deep pockets? That’s what Jaylen Brown is thinking. The reigning NBA Finals MVP launched his own clothing brand, 741, in September and plans to sign other athletes. To get started, Brown met with Kickstarter CEO Everett Taylor, a man with extensive marketing experience—his platform has helped founders raise more than $8 billion to launch products. The meeting was part of a new series called The Playbook created by Entrepreneur and Sports Illustrated, where we pair entrepreneurial athletes with business leaders to discuss their shared passion for new ventures. Below is an edited excerpt from their full conversation, which you can watch here.

Taylor: I’m impressed by how you understand that no matter how successful you are now, you have a long life ahead and the NBA is just part of your career. Where did this recognition come from?

Brown: I got this from growing up playing chess. Because in a chess game there are three components: opening, middle and endgame. When approaching your strategy, you must know all three at the same time. Your opening act determines how you are going to end the game.

So when I bring this to life, I position my pieces. That’s why I started thinking about retiring from the very beginning. I know it’s a game.

Taylor: Yes, I have this in my head all the time. In high school, I was homeless and went to the local library for shelter. It was there that I learned about people like Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, and I thought: Wow. I wasn’t talented enough to be an NBA player, but I thought I could handle this technology. It was a platform for building a career.

As for your point about seeing the whole game at once, I have a vision of what I want for my life and essentially work backwards from it. It’s about, “This is what I want my life to look like.” Every move I make, every job I take, everything I do is aimed at achieving this path.

Brown: And this is the battle of humanity! Because yes, you have a mission, you have a goal that drives you every day, but you still have emotions, you still have vices, you still have what you want to do. This is why you need discipline and discernment. At 27, I’m still figuring it out. But I have a clear vision for my future.

Taylor: So let’s talk about one of those things that you build –
your shoe brand. What prompted you to launch it?

Brown: Honestly, this idea came to me from Kobe (Bryant), rest in peace. Before his death, he planned to launch his own shoe brand, sign contracts with athletes and offer them more favorable conditions and interest rates. I remember reading an article about this and thinking it was cool.

I’ve gone through my own experiences with large corporations and realized how much they value your creativity and how much they value you. I met all the brands and none of them stood out. They all approach things the same way. I was looking for a brand of the future, not a brand of the past. And I couldn’t find it, so I had to run it.

Taylor: Many people don’t do this because they are willing to just take the leftovers that other people give them. What do you think sets your brand apart from others the most?

Brown: Design. I designed everything myself. I was just at the plant in South Korea, making sure everything was done the way I saw fit. I turned down almost $50 million worth of deals (from other brands) to start something on my own. And it’s not because I didn’t like money. This is because these deals painted me into a corner and did not allow me to be creative.

Taylor: Man, you lit up when you started talking about design. You are creative. I know it’s hard to use that word about yourself sometimes, but I think a true creative person doesn’t want to be tied down by anything. So yes, money matters and we want to be able to take care of our families, but when someone truly embodies creativity, they should be able to present their art form to the world in the way they see fit.

Brown: Yes, and storytelling is very important here. I put a lot of meaning, purpose and intention into every aspect of the brand, and I want things to breathe and spread as people start asking more questions. I don’t want to impose anything. It won’t necessarily be the hottest brand on the street tomorrow.

Taylor: I’m glad you have a marathon mentality because none of the big shoe or apparel companies started out with significant growth. This happened over time. I think your brand will embody authenticity and people want to see and feel that, especially among Gen Z and new types of consumers. They buy things completely differently. They want to feel that the brand cares about people, that it is in their best interests and is on the right side of good.

When you look at some of the large corporations in this space, I think they have lost that vision. Not to pick on anyone, but many large corporations have built their companies on a foundation of great branding and great storytelling, and then poured billions of dollars into performance marketing instead of creativity, storytelling, and authenticity.

Brown: This is the cycle of life. Once you become so big and successful, you try to survive. You’re just trying to protect what you’ve already created. Then you lose the ability to move forward and continue to overcome obstacles.

Taylor: That’s why my biggest advice to you is to be constantly obsessed with growth, innovation and design. The moment you feel comfortable (and you don’t look like a person who would be comfortable), growth stops. I think about this on Kickstarter all the time. I think you have the right mentality. I can’t wait to see what you do.

Brown: I hope so. Wish me luck, man.