NBA players, after retirement, are seen in a variety of career alternatives like sports media, coaching, angel investing, etc. However, Los Angeles Lakers legend Rick Fox has decided to dedicate himself to the fight for climate change. According to an article by ‘The Verge,’ the $20,000,000-worth former NBA player is working on building houses with the help of sustainable materials that suck CO2 from the environment.
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After retiring from the league, Rick Fox decided to be a part of Hollywood. 29 years ago, he worked alongside NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal in the movie Blue Chip. He then decided to leave his career in Hollywood and work on an alternative for cement by co-founding a startup named – ‘Partanna.’
Rick Fox has built a house that sucks CO2 from the air
Rick Fox was looking set for a career in Hollywood after retiring from the NBA. He even did a movie alongside Shaq called ‘Blue Chip.’ Twenty-nine years later, the player pivoted from a career in entertainment to one that provides climate solutions. By realizing the effect of climate change, the player decided to work on an alternative for concrete. Here is what he said in an interview with ‘The Verge’:
“I shut down my entire career that was in Hollywood to pursue and create [climate] solutions. I had to move around the industry that was new to me and meet people that were looking at me like, ‘What the hell are you doing in concrete?”
Fox identified the harmful greenhouse emissions in the process of making concrete. These emissions can lead to catastrophic climate conditions. This led to the development of an alternative material to cement (the main ingredient in concrete) made through recycling waste. When Fix was asked about his motivation to enter the concrete world, here is what he said:
“My entry into the world of concrete was one out of just sheer survival and the need to innovate in my own home country.”
The NBA player has built a house in the Bahamas that is free from concrete. His goal is to build 999 such homes in his hometown. From thereon, the startup founder hopes to see his innovative solution become the global alternative for concrete.
Rick compares climate crisis to the NBA’s fourth-quarter
Rick Fox has dedicated his life to protecting the environment. The growing concern about global warming moves the three-time NBA champion, who believes everyone needs to be aware of the repercussions. He wrote an article for ‘The Fortune‘ where he compared the current situation to the fourth quarter of an NBA game. Here is an excerpt from the article:
“I know all too well what it feels like to be down 20 in the fourth quarter. I know what it feels like to look at the scoreboard and think a win is impossible. This might be how most of us feel when we think about the deficit of action surrounding climate change. But coming from behind is possible–when you focus on one possession, one small decision, one smart adaptation, one collaborative effort at a time.”
Fox is optimistic about the chances of improving the situation if we are willing to take action. Much like a basketball game where your team is down in the fourth quarter, and you mount a comeback by playing one possession at a time. According to him, the same applies to the environment. If we take one step in our daily life that contributes to helping the climate, we move closer to our goal.
