Latest news with #RickFox
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rick Fox explains why Kobe never hung out with other teammates: "He was on a course and any minute or day wasted doing something else was going to slow him down getting to that point"
Rick Fox explains why Kobe never hung out with other teammates: "He was on a course and any minute or day wasted doing something else was going to slow him down getting to that point" originally appeared on Basketball Network. When Kobe Bryant came into the NBA, he wasn't just some teenage kid living the dream — he was a man on a mission. From day one, Kobe had one thing on his mind: being the absolute best he could possibly be. That meant outworking everyone. He would often wake up as early as 4 a.m. to get in that extra practice of the day. Kob would work so hard to squeeze in one more shooting session or one more drill just to make sure he was staying ahead of his competition. But as with almost anything in life, that kind of hunger and will to be the best came with a cost. And Rick Fox, one of the key voices from those early Los Angeles Lakers championship teams, reflected on exactly what that cost was. "Kobe weren't trying to hang out with anybody. He had a job to do. Like, really, he was on a mission," Fox recalled in an interview on HOT 97. "He was on the course, man, and any minute or day wasted, doing something else, was going to slow him down from getting to that point," he added. It wasn't as simple as Kobe not liking his teammates; it was that Mamba didn't have time for anything that didn't push him toward his ultimate goal. Fox wasn't just some bystander on those Lakers teams. The UNC product was a vital piece of the puzzle, a guy who did the dirty work, played defense, hit timely shots and helped the Purple and Gold win three straight titles and become somewhat of a dynasty. Because he knew what it took to win and he also was well aware what it felt like to try and let loose a little bit along the way. Fox recalled those long, grueling road trips. The Lakers would finally be on the way back home, and the team would try to unwind. With beers cracked open, cigars in players' mouths and playing cards. And while most of the squad joined in, there was always one man who kept his distance. "I drank beer, smoked cigars and played cards… Ron Harper rolled on a plane with a six-pack. We sat and talked about the game, played cards and Kobe would sit across from us, and he would always look at us, almost disgusted by us," Fox added with a smile on his laser focus from a young Kobe shouldn't surprise anyone. This was a guy who wanted to get to the NBA's mountaintop, and he didn't want anything slowing him down on the climb. And once he got there? He made sure he stayed at the top, no matter how much more he had to work to be there for good. That's what became known as the Mamba Mentality. A mindset that still resonates with fans and players, even after his tragic passing. It was never about being the most fun guy on the team. It was about being the best and the most dedicated one. Bryant achieved everything there is to achieve in basketball. From MVP award, to championships, scoring titles and Olympic gold medals. If the tradeoff was missing out on a couple of beers or cigars along the way or spending countless hours in the gym while others were unwinding, so be it. Rest assured that Kobe was more than fine with that. Because in the end, he got exactly where he wanted to be. And what made it even sweeter is that Mamba did it on his story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
When Rick Fox turned down a $33 million deal from Boston only to take a million from the Lakers: "I bet on myself"
When Rick Fox turned down a $33 million deal from Boston only to take a million from the Lakers: "I bet on myself" originally appeared on Basketball Network. When Rick Fox was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1991, he wanted to pattern his career path with Larry Bird's. During that time, Bird had played 12 seasons and won three championships. So when Fox was asked by reporters on Draft Night what his plan was, he said he wanted to win three NBA titles in a 12-year NBA career. Advertisement He also hoped that Bird would play much longer because when he arrived. Sadly for him, Larry Legend was already 35 years old and dealing with back problems. Bird retired after Fox's rookie season, leaving the Celtics in shambles. The Celtics missed the playoffs in three out of the next five seasons and during the 1996-97 campaign, they won only 15 regular season games. At the end of that season, Fox became a free agent. He verbally agreed to a $33 million extension with the Celtics but while waiting for the contract, he got a call from the Los Angeles Lakers. "They said I was the glue, I was the missing piece," said Fox on a "Giant Ventures" podcast. "But they could only pay me a million dollars and so I had to look at 33 million or one million. It looks like a smart move today, but it didn't make my agents and managers happy when I turned down $33 million," Fox admitted. The story of Fox's $33 million deal with Boston was complicated But Fox's story wasn't as simple as turning down a big-money contract to win a championship. After Celtics head coach Rick Pitino, who was also the team president, negotiated with Fox on a Friday, he flew to L.A. to lure big man Travis Knight to come to Boston. Pitino and Knight ended up agreeing on a seven-year 20 million deal during the weekend. Rick thought that by Monday, Boston would announce that they had signed both him and Knight. But that was not the case. Advertisement "I thought on Monday I was going to get a contract. I went to get a haircut at the barbershop. I was in my car waiting for the barbershop to open up and my agent called me and said that I had been renounced," Fox recalled. Related: "I can't get so close to it, too, because of my competitive nature" - Michael Jordan on why he can't get himself to be a fan of any one player in the NBA Red Auerbach tried to fix things with Rick It turned out, the Celtics did not have enough cap space for both of them and Pitino ended up prioritizing Knight. Red Auerbach personally called Fox to apologize on the team's behalf. Red told Rick to wait for 90 days as they had a plan in place to get the money to sign him. But that's when the Lakers called. And Fox bought into their pitch, despite the massive disparity in pay. Advertisement "I bet on myself," added Rick. "And more importantly, I bet on what I saw, which was greatness, is Shaquille O'Neal and the organization equally like the Celtics that were pursuing championships at all costs. And I always say, you put yourself in a room and surround yourself with the type of people that are championship mindset driven and will sacrifice at all costs to get there. And you will find yourself at some point at the top of the heap," Fox concluded. After a couple of one-year $1 million deals in Los Angeles, Phil Jackson arrived and changed the fortunes of the Lakers. The Lake Show would win three straight championships from 2000-02 with Fox a key player on the team. Rick ended up playing until the 2003-04 season. He retired with the three championship rings that he wished for and played 13 seasons, one more than his original plan. Related: "They were 1A and 1A. That's what created all the anxiety" - Rick Fox on the downfall of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in Los Angeles This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pegasus Capital Advisors and Partanna Collaborate to Scale Carbon-Negative Cement for Coastal Resilience
Pegasus Capital Advisors and Partanna are working together on a strategic investment to support the deployment of carbon-negative materials for marine restoration and resilient coastal infrastructure. The contemplated investment would be made through the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) platform managed by Pegasus Capital Advisors. NICE, France, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pegasus Capital Advisors, a leading private markets investment firm focused on sustainability and climate resilience, is collaborating with Partanna, the climate technology company behind the world's first carbon-negative cement, on a strategic investment of up to $20 million. The investment, under discussion and subject to further diligence and final agreements, will support Partanna's expansion into emerging markets and help unlock catalytic grant opportunities. The investment will also be used to build coastal resilience under Partanna Ocean - a subsidiary of Partanna. This collaboration reflects a shared ambition to deliver nature-positive infrastructure at scale, and to unlock blended finance solutions, including catalytic grants and climate-aligned capital, to accelerate deployment in emerging markets. This future investment announced during the 2025 UN Ocean Conference underscores a shared commitment to delivering scalable, high-impact solutions at the forefront of climate mitigation, adaptation, and nature restoration. Pegasus Capital, based in Connecticut, USA, has deployed $2.6 billion of capital commitments since inception and will bring its proven expertise in finance, ocean investing and emerging market infrastructure to accelerate Partanna's global growth. "Coral reefs and coastal ecosystems are disappearing at an alarming rate—threatening marine life, livelihoods, and entire communities," said David Cogut, Co-Managing Partner at Pegasus Capital Advisors. "At Pegasus Capital, we believe the best investments deliver strong returns for investors and improve people's lives. Partanna Ocean is a true innovator at the intersection of climate, technology, and the marine environment—restoring ecosystems, creating local jobs, and helping coastal communities withstand rising seas and climate-driven disasters." Coral reefs generate $9 billion in coastal protection, $6.8 billion in fisheries, and $35.8 billion in tourism each year. Yet these ecosystems face devastating threats from climate change—from ocean acidification to coral bleaching. Partanna's cement reverses this damage: instead of emitting CO₂ like traditional concrete, it captures and stores carbon—and becomes stronger in seawater. "This significant partnership enables us to create a world where infrastructure on land and sea can work for us, not against us," said Rick Fox, Co-Founder and CEO of Partanna. "Partanna Ocean represents a new frontier in climate innovation, one where we support the restoration of marine ecosystems, building with materials that are nature positive and actively heal the planet." GFCR, with its investment arm managed by Pegasus Capital, is a multi-partner initiative launched to support the resilience and restoration of coral reefs around the world. It is both a funding mechanism and a coalition of public and private partners working together to protect coral reef ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Member countries include: Jamaica, The Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Ecuador, Mozambique, The Maldives, The Bahamas and other countries that are part of GFCR. As the first U.S. private equity firm accredited by the Green Climate Fund and a partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pegasus Capital is uniquely positioned to de-risk and mobilize capital through its layered capital structure—enabling unique investments in high-impact ventures like Partanna. The collaboration with the GFCR's mission to protect coastal ecosystems and deliver climate-resilient infrastructure across developing nations. "We are excited to invest in a team bringing real innovation to climate and ocean challenges," said Mahamadou Coulibaly, Operating Advisor at Pegasus Capital Advisors. "Partanna's innovation offers a rare mix of climate impact and infrastructure scale." In response to the partnership with Pegasus Capital, Prof. Carlos Duarte, Executive Director at The G20's Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform said: "I am delighted to see this announcement made today. Partanna Ocean provides a cutting edge technology to fabricate the framework required to support living corals in the promising approach referred to as Hybrid Reefs, conserving corals and coastal protection benefits. This investment will ensure that, through Partanna Ocean, hybrid reefs also contribute to sequester CO2, which is vital because climate change is the biggest threat to coral reefs, hence leading to a triple win: an ocean, climate and biodiversity positive approach to restoring coral reefs." The collaboration with Pegasus Capital Advisors places Partanna at the heart of one of the largest finance movements focused on ocean protection and climate infrastructure. Partanna was advised by Marshall Shaffer, Matt Pacey and Billy Vranish at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. About PartannaPartanna Global is an advanced materials company revolutionizing the construction industry through its development of sustainable building materials. Co-founded by NBA champion Rick Fox, Partanna emerged in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas with a core mission to change the way the world is built. Partanna has developed a sustainable alternative to Portland cement that eliminates the need for the energy-intensive clinkering process. This innovative solution permanently removes CO₂ from the atmosphere, making it carbon negative and environmentally beneficial – unlike traditional Portland cement which accounts for 9% of global CO₂ emissions. Partanna's vision extends beyond cement. The company is committed to discovering new advanced materials that delink development from pollution. By leveraging emerging technologies, Partanna aims to remove 1 billion tons of CO₂ by 2050. The company has a global presence with subsidiaries in The Bahamas, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. A further subsidiary, Partanna Ocean, founded in The Bahamas, protects coastal communities and heals our oceans through various applications of Partanna's binder technology. About Pegasus Capital Advisors, Capital Advisors, L.P. is a leading private markets investment manager focused on generating strong returns for investors through projects that create jobs, expand access to clean energy, food and water security, and build stronger local economies. Since 1996, Pegasus has invested in businesses and infrastructure that improve lives and drive economic growth. Pegasus is the investment manager of the Subnational Climate Fund and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs and partners with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to deliver projects and support companies across the Global South. Pegasus was the first North American private equity firm accredited by the Green Climate Fund and works closely with governments and local organizations to build stronger, more resilient communities. Learn more at View original content: SOURCE Pegasus Capital Advisors
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rick Fox was 'willing to risk reinjuring' himself to start on the loaded 2003-04 Lakers
Rick Fox was 'willing to risk reinjuring' himself to start on the loaded 2003-04 Lakers In the summer of 2003, after the Los Angeles Lakers failed to win a fourth straight NBA championship, they signed future Hall of Famers Gary Payton and Karl Malone. With the two joining Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, it seemed to many that the Lakers had a team for the ages. One question going into the season was who would be the fifth starter at the small forward position. In the past, it had been Rick Fox, a consummate role player who excelled in multiple phases of the game and sacrificed his individual production for the good of the team. Fox suffered a severe foot injury during the 2003 playoffs, but he admitted he badly wanted to be that "fifth Beatle" on what was supposed to be a dominant team. Via Bleacher Report: "Returning from a torn ligament in my foot, I did everything I could to make it to training camp," Fox said about his desire to be a starter in the 2003-04 campaign. "It was unrealistic for me to think I could participate, but I'll be damned, I tried. I wanted to be in that starting lineup as the fifth Beatle. I was willing to risk reinjuring myself to make sure I was part of what we all thought was going to be one of the greatest teams ever." The 6-foot-7 veteran forward was an invaluable member of the Lakers when they won three straight world titles in the early 2000s thanks to his defense, 3-point shooting, post entry passing and overall physicality. But his tank was empty after the foot injury he sustained in 2003. He had averaged 9.0 points in 26.5 minutes a game over the previous six seasons with L.A., but once he made his return in late January, he only mustered 4.8 points in 22.3 minutes per game on 39.2% shooting from the field and 24.6% from 3-point range. That Lakers team suffered from many key injuries throughout the season, and despite reaching the NBA Finals for the fourth time in five years, they got steamrolled there by the Detroit Pistons in five games. Ultimately, a big reason they didn't win it all was their utter lack of depth, and Fox's decline contributed to that deficiency. He was traded to the Boston Celtics during the summer of 2004, but due to his foot injury and other ailments, he decided to retire before the start of the 2004-05 season.
ME Construction
21-05-2025
- Business
- ME Construction
Exeed Industries signs MoU with Partanna Oasis to introduce sustainable cement solutions
Sustainability Exeed Industries signs MoU with Partanna Oasis to introduce sustainable cement solutions By The MoU underscores a shared objective to evaluate and plan for the establishment of facilities in Abu Dhabi to locally manufacture Partanna's next-generation cement alternatives Exeed Industries has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Partanna Oasis, a subsidiary of Partanna, an innovator in sustainable building materials. This collaborative agreement aims to introduce carbon-negative cement technologies to the UAE, marking a significant step towards addressing climate change concerns. The MoU underscores a shared objective to evaluate and plan for the establishment of facilities in Abu Dhabi to locally manufacture Partanna's next-generation of cement alternatives. Both parties will devise a strategic plan for the establishment of a brine conversion facility, a tolling facility, and a cement production plant, thereby facilitating the commercialisation of Partanna's products within the United Arab Emirates. Partanna's innovative carbon-negative building materials, crafted without the conventional Portland cement, not only mitigate carbon emissions but actively contribute to the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere, presenting a solution for sustainable construction. It's worth noting that traditional Portland cement is responsible for a significant portion of global CO₂ emissions, accounting for 9%. Partanna's innovative technology transforms developments into vital carbon removal assets. said a statement. 'We are excited to join forces with Partanna to champion green innovation in construction,' said Mohammad Alameer, Group CEO at Exeed Industries. 'This partnership aligns perfectly with our sustainability objectives and the UAE's industrial decarbonisation goals.' 'This is an important milestone in our mission to scale global access to climate-positive construction materials,' added Rick Fox, CEO of Partanna. 'The UAE is a strategic market and global leader in sustainable construction, and Exeed's deep industrial expertise makes them a match winning partner.' As part of this collaborative effort, both parties will collaborate on certification processes, performance testing, and regulatory framework alignment. The scope of the project also includes evaluating applications across the UAE's construction sector and integrating them into Exeed's precast and concrete operations. The MoU reinforces both companies' commitment to innovation, sustainability, and long term value creation.
