Posted by Actively Black
on September 25, 2026
Watch the full segment: Basketball star Lanny Smith shares journey to fashion CEO, NBC’s TODAY (November 2023)
NBC’s TODAY featured Actively Black founder Lanny Smith in a November 29, 2023 segment with Craig Melvin, “Basketball star Lanny Smith shares journey to fashion CEO,” tracing how a career-ending NBA injury led him to build the Black-owned athleisure brand.
The segment, part of TODAY’s “The Upside” series, aired as Actively Black celebrated its third anniversary, and it gave national viewers the origin story the Tribe knows well.
Key takeaways
- TODAY reported that Lanny’s NBA dream ended with a knee injury in 2009, just 33 days after he signed with the Sacramento Kings.
- In the segment, Lanny told Craig Melvin he struggled with depression and an identity crisis and moved back home with his mother, who told him there was a purpose in his pain.
- Lanny said that while running his first brand, Active Faith Sports, he kept himself out of public view, fearing that customers learning a young Black man was behind the brand would hurt the business.
- Lanny told TODAY that the performative corporate responses of 2020 convinced him it was time to build a brand of our own.
- The segment reported that Actively Black donated 10% of its revenue to various causes the previous year and noted that President Obama had worn the brand.
- TODAY noted that Lanny’s mother, a retired computer programmer, now works in the business handling customer service and the back end of the website.
In Lanny's words
“It is time for us to stop asking for a seat at that table, to just build our own table.”
— Lanny Smith, on TODAY
“I welcome all people to wear Actively Black.”
— Lanny Smith, on TODAY
“None of this is possible without the sacrifices that she made.”
— Lanny Smith, on his mother, on TODAY
Why it matters
On one of the biggest morning shows in the country, Lanny told the story behind our most important idea: stop asking for a seat and build the table. The segment connected the pain of a lost dream to a brand that now reinvests in the community it serves.
It also showed who holds this brand together. Lanny credited his mother, who moved to Texas as a computer programmer in the early ’80s, with giving him the ability to dream with no limits, and she now helps run the business. Family, faith and community are stitched into every piece the Tribe wears.
Shop the story
Shop the moisture-wicking pieces featured in the segment in our Performance collection, start with the Tribe favorites in Best Sellers: Men’s and Unisex, and read our full story on our About Us page.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Actively Black?
Lanny Smith founded Actively Black in 2020 after a knee injury ended his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings 33 days after he signed.
What did the TODAY show say about Actively Black?
In a November 2023 segment with Craig Melvin, TODAY described Lanny as changing the game in athletic apparel and reported that Actively Black donated 10% of its revenue to various causes the previous year.
Who can wear Actively Black?
Everyone. Lanny told TODAY that anyone who believes in righting the wrongs of society does not have to be Black to share those beliefs, and that he welcomes all people to wear Actively Black.
Is Actively Black Black-owned?
Yes. Actively Black is a Black-owned athleisure brand founded by Lanny Smith.
