📈 He Went From Making $11/Hr to a Nike Exec... Then He Quit

Happy Wednesday,

A career in sports sounds glamorous… until you realize how unclear the path actually is.

There’s no clean playbook, no guaranteed ladder to climb. And most people never make it past the unpaid internships or dead-end “assistant” roles. That’s what makes Brian Davison’s story so compelling.

This week, Jake and I sat down with Brian to unpack how he went from coaching D2 basketball to working retail at Nike, and eventually signing Giannis Antetokounmpo to a $240M deal as part of Nike’s athlete marketing team.

But this isn’t just a Nike story.

Today, Brian runs Sports Business Ventures, a mentorship company built to help others break into sports the way he once had to do on his own: through hustle, long-term thinking, and a willingness to bet on himself.

🎧 [Listen to our full episode with Brian Davison]

5 Takeaways From Our Conversation With Brian Davison

1. Brian didn’t just break into Nike; he cold-emailed his way in.

After two years of coaching college basketball and working three side jobs just to stay afloat, Brian realized he needed a more sustainable path. That pivot led him to apply for a seasonal retail job at a Nike outlet in Maryland.

Once inside, he got scrappy. Using his corporate email, he cold-messaged dozens of people across Nike Basketball and Sports Marketing, just trying to get a conversation.

“I emailed everybody I could. I just said, I’m working in retail, but I want to be an EKIN someday,” he told us. That outreach eventually led to a mentor… and a plan.

2. He spent three years working unpaid just to be in the room.

When one of Nike’s veteran sales reps invited Brian to a local showroom, he asked if he could just come in and help for free. And he did every day he wasn’t at the store (for three years).

That work gave him access to early product drops, storytelling strategy, and direct insight into how Nike sold into retail. “That’s where I learned everything,” he said. “Product creation, marketing, relationships; it all started there.”

3. Everyone told him he’d never land the job he wanted. He did it anyway.

When Brian said he wanted to join Nike’s basketball marketing team, most people told him to give it up. “They told me, they’ve never hired a white guy in that role. Try football or baseball instead,” he said.

But he kept pushing. He became the top EKIN in the country, built trust with mentors like Nico Harrison, and ultimately landed the job anyway, becoming the Nike rep for Giannis, Khris Middleton, and others during the Bucks’ championship run.

4. The Giannis deal was big, but the travel was even bigger.

In 2021, Giannis signed a multi-year extension with Nike, complete with a growing signature line and global brand campaigns. Brian helped lead that deal from the Nike side. But behind the scenes, it was grueling.

“I was on the road 225+ days a year,” he told us. “I loved it. But I was missing birthdays, holidays—everything.” That tension, between dream job and real life, set the stage for his next chapter.

5. Now he’s helping others get in the game.

Brian left the Bucks after their 2021 title run to launch Sports Business Ventures, a mentorship and career development company built for people trying to break into the sports industry.

The company offers job search tools, mentorship programs, and live experiences at events like the Super Bowl. But more than anything, it offers guidance. “I didn’t have anyone showing me how to do this,” he said. “Now I want to be that for someone else.”

Why It Matters

The sports industry loves to sell the dream. But few talk about what it actually takes to build a career within it.

Brian’s journey, from basement dorms to championship rings, proves that relationships, resilience, and relentless effort still matter. And as AI, content, and influence reshape hiring pipelines, mentorship and access might be the new front door into sports.

🎧 [Listen to our full episode with Brian Davison]

📩 And don’t forget: Bottom of the Ninth is back this Friday with the top three stories in sports and business from the week.

See you then,
Tyler & Jake