When you’re a basketball star like Sue Bird retireThey may not use deadly crossovers or deadly jump shots in the “real world,” but one skill that will continue to serve them well (and that many civilians lack) is teamwork. be.
“Every athlete has it inside of them,” Bird said in an interview on the main stage. luckThe Most Powerful Women Summit was held Tuesday in Laguna Niguel, California.
During the audience Q&A, one attendee asked the WNBA legend which skills from his playing days are most useful now that his playing days are over. Bird pointed to a number of skills she has developed throughout her lifetime playing basketball. But one skill, teamwork, stood out more than any other as an ability that helps people find common ground.
“I sometimes joke that if this country was run the way sports teams operate, we would be in a better place,” Byrd said. Athletes “just understand what it is to interact with each other. All athletes definitely have this skill set.”
Bird, who will retire from the WNBA in 2022, was a consummate team player during his outstanding career. she’s in the league All-time assist leader3,234 times throughout her career.
The overlap between business and sports
Business leaders and elite athletes have always considered themselves cut from the same cloth. Both are overachievers, perform in high-stakes situations that attract public attention, and are exceptionally or dauntingly competitive.
It is becoming increasingly common for male athletes to become businessmen after their careers end, and for some it is even expected. Michael Jordan acquired Nike’s signature brand and is now a pop culture and fashion icon. Jordan also recently sold his hometown NBA team in Charlotte, the Hornets, for $3 billion after buying it for $275 million.
Bird had her sights set on a similar career path after her retirement. Although Bird was a little unsure about whether he was suited for life off the court, he realized that the life skills he developed as an athlete could be applied to the business world.
“I feel like I woke up when I retired,” Bird said. “I thought, ‘Oh, I can walk into these different rooms and I can actually have a voice, because what I bring to the table is a little bit different because of my sports background.’ It was.”
In addition to teamwork, Bird added that goal setting and discipline also helped in his post-playing days. Byrd noted that these are among the skills she has honed her entire life, since she started playing the sport in first grade (she is now 43 years old).
Bird currently has several businesses. She runs a media company aptly named togetherwhich she started with legendary soccer player Alex Morgan, Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Chloe Kim, and Olympic gold medalist swimmer Simone Manuel. Earlier this year, Bird’s other media company, A Touch More, which she founded with her fiance, U.S. women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe, signed a podcasting deal with Vox Media.
But perhaps her most significant business move came this spring. Joined ownership group She spent her entire 20-year career with the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.
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