Posted by Actively Black
on September 25, 2026
AfroTech profiled Actively Black, the Black-owned sportswear brand founded by former basketball player Lanny Smith in 2020, in a March 2023 story about his goal of building a real competitor to Nike. Writer Ngozi Nwanji traced how a knee injury ended Lanny’s time with the Sacramento Kings and pushed him toward a new way to stay in sports and make an impact. The piece also explained why ownership and reinvestment sit at the center of the brand the Tribe wears today.
Key takeaways
- AfroTech reported that a 2009 knee injury stopped Lanny Smith from continuing as a player with the Sacramento Kings, which led him to look for another way to stay involved in sports.
- AfroTech described Actively Black, launched in 2020, as Lanny’s answer to Nike and framed the brand as an entry into a $170 billion industry.
- Citing CNBC, AfroTech reported that Actively Black brought in $5.6 million and was reportedly valued at $30 million in 2021.
- According to AfroTech’s summary of CNBC’s reporting, Actively Black reinvests 10 percent of its sales into organizations serving Black communities in the U.S. across social justice, mental health and physical health.
- AfroTech noted that more than $500,000 was donated in 2022 to organizations including the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, The Liberation Fund, Black Kids Code, Our Own and Families United.
- The story highlighted the brand’s collaborations with the “Black Panther” franchise and the 2022 Winter Olympics, and noted that Deja Kelly became Actively Black’s first NIL signee.
In Lanny's words
“A lot of these sports apparel brands have profited off of Black talent,”
— Lanny Smith, to CNBC, as quoted by AfroTech
“And I felt like they hadn’t adequately reinvested back into the Black community.”
— Lanny Smith, to CNBC, as quoted by AfroTech
“We can have a real impact.”
— Lanny Smith, as quoted by AfroTech
Why it matters
AfroTech put the question plainly: the biggest names in sportswear have benefited from Black culture, so who is reinvesting in the community that drives it? Lanny built Actively Black to answer that question with ownership. We are not asking for a seat at the table. We are building our own table, and every order helps fund the organizations named in this story.
The piece also made a point about scale. Lanny’s argument, as AfroTech reported it, is that a giving model like ours becomes a far bigger force as the brand grows. That is why we treat the clothes as the uniform for the movement. Wearing them is a way to support Black athletes, Black creators and Black communities at the same time.
Shop the story
Explore the Actively Black Wakanda collection from our Black Panther partnership, rep the Huey P. Newton x Actively Black collection, and read more about our mission on our About Us page.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Actively Black?
Actively Black was founded in 2020 by Lanny Smith, a former University of Houston basketball player whose time with the Sacramento Kings ended because of a knee injury.
What did AfroTech say about Actively Black?
AfroTech reported in March 2023 that Lanny Smith aims to make Actively Black a Nike rival, and cited CNBC’s reporting that the brand brought in $5.6 million and was reportedly valued at $30 million in 2021.
How much does Actively Black give back?
According to AfroTech, citing CNBC, Actively Black reinvests 10 percent of its sales into organizations supporting Black communities, and more than $500,000 was donated in 2022.
Is Actively Black Black-owned?
Yes. Actively Black is a Black-owned athletic apparel brand founded and led by Lanny Smith, its founder and CEO.
Read the full feature: Former Basketball Player Lanny Smith Aims To Make His Reported $30M Sportswear Brand A Nike Rival, AfroTech (March 2023)
