Drake: Musical Artist or Front Office Headhunter? John Wall picks an HBCU over Kentucky. Nike shipped a software update on a sneaker. Welcome to The Closeout. Every Wednesday at 7:00am ET. Let's get into it.

Drake is a man of many talents (who drops three albums in one day?!). One thing he doesn't get enough credit for is his eye for a good investment. Take Venezia FC. He's been a part of the club since 2023, when his team got a call from Venezia co-owner Brad Katsuyama to help keep them from filing bankruptcy. This was his first move with the club, pure relationship deal-making. He picked up the phone, brought together a group of American investors, and helped raise around $40 million to clear the club's debts ahead of its return to Serie A.

This wasn't enough for him. In August 2024 he formally invested through Apex Capital, the same fund with stakes in Alpine F1 and Tiger Woods' TGL league. To top it off, he brought in his Nike sub-brand NOCTA as Venezia's kit sponsor, further entrenching his brand in the club. Two weeks ago, he closed the loop. Drake personally introduced Tim Leiweke and Francesca Bodie to the club, the new Co-Chairman of the Operating Committee and President respectively, as part of a €100 million raise. Drake didn't stop at the kit deal. He hired the front office.

There are a few things the press release doesn't mention. Leiweke was indicted in July 2025 by a federal grand jury for Sherman Act violations tied to alleged bid-rigging on the Moody Center arena project, but was pardoned by Trump in late 2025. Drake's defamation appeal against UMG over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" remains active in the Second Circuit, with his reply brief filed April 17. Both are carrying weight heading into this venture, but a little controversy never stopped rich folks from doing business.

The bigger trend: athletes have been buying into European football for years. LeBron in Liverpool, Curry in TGL, Durant in PSG. You don't hear about artists doing it at this scale, and Drake is leading the charge. He could've thrown some dollars and watched it build. Instead he rolled up his sleeves. With Leiweke's stadium development expertise, watch the Bosco dello Sport project closely. The success of that rollout will define this whole venture.

Caleb Williams's "no vices" investment strategy refuses the two biggest pro-sports sponsor dollars: alcohol and gambling. 888 Midas is into Boston Legacy FC, Monarch Collective, xAI, and Goop Kitchen instead.

Adam Thielen, one of the highest-earning undrafted players in NFL history, is going deep on the $40 billion youth sports industry. ETS Performance just acquired Kula Sports Performance, pushing it to 80 locations.

Travis and Jason Kelce are now a storefront. Kelce Clubhouse launched on Amazon in January: New Heights merch, their upcoming book No Dumb Questions, and Garage Beer (which they own). 

Freddie Gibbs and the 119-year-old sportswear brand Mizuno announced the Gary, Indiana legend will become its first non-athlete Global Brand Ambassador. Sneaker collab drops in early 2027.

Women's college volleyball just became the biggest-money stage in college athletics. Four top programs, AT&T Stadium, $1M purse, August 27. The event: Spikes Under the Lights.

John Wall had a decorated playing career: #1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, five-time All-Star, Slam Dunk Contest champion (when it was actually fun to watch). He's adding to the list. President of Basketball Operations at Howard University.

The move follows a recent trend for current and former players. Stephen Curry is assistant GM at his alma mater Davidson. Trae Young is GM at Oklahoma. Terance Mann holds the same role at Florida State. NBA stars are taking roles in college front offices, and most are picking programs where they have familiar ties.

Wall could've gone to Kentucky. He chose an HBCU with no current basketball pedigree that hasn't made the NCAA Tournament since 1992. Truth is, at Kentucky, he'd be one of a hundred decorated alums. At Howard, he is the brand: the name, his connections, the donor relationships, and the ability to pull recruits who'd never have looked at the school.

The Takeaway: The HBCU athletic landscape has changed since Deion Sanders' Jackson State run, and NIL money is finally flowing into gyms that previously couldn't compete. Wall is showing up at the right moment. Watch Howard's 2027 recruiting class. Will he land a top-100 recruit?

Nike just released a software update. Not to their mobile app. To a sneaker. The Air Max 1000.2 dropped on SNKRS May 7, an all-black 3D-printed shoe made with Zellerfeld for $179. Zellerfeld put it on paper: "Just like software, the design continues to evolve with each iteration, where every release acts as an update, refining the product through continuous improvements to geometry, performance, and print efficiency."

Translation: faster print times, refined outsole geometry, recyclable Zellerfoam TPU. In layman's terms, a better shoe in less time. The wait for the next drop begins NOW.

Five years away in music could easily kill anyone’s career. Not Isaiah Rashad. IT’S BEEN AWFUL dropped on May 1 and might be his best one yet. Sixteen tracks with features from SZA, Dominic Fike, and Julian Sintonia. The one I have on repeat is SAME SH!T. The more I run through the album, the more I realize every song tells its own story. Good things come to those who wait. Give it a spin, or two. 

To those of you who made it this far, thank you for reading Issue #1. The Closeout exists because nothing covered the money behind the culture. Issue #2 hits your inbox next Wednesday. Forward this to someone who'd enjoy it as much as I hope you did.