Seen The Beautiful #TeamNigeria Kits Everyone Is Raving About? There's A Story Of Pain Behind The Glory (Sports/Celebrities)

From Pharrell, US singer and creative director of Louis Vuitton to Steph Curry, the US basketball star, to many athletes and among the online community, the world is buzzing about the beautiful Team Nigeria's gear at 2024 Olympics. Some are saying #TeamNigeria is the best kitted already, while done if the athletes are full of the praises for the beauty, quality and great feel of the kits. 

The firm behind the brand which produced the kit is based in LA, United States and is famed for making huge donations to the black community from its profits. Essence magazine says it's donated over $500,000 to charities supporting the community. 

         Lanny Smith, CEO, Actively Black

The success and huge impact is a full circle moment for Lanny Smith, creator of the brand. Many see the beauty of this moment. But, not many know the back story of the painful thorn behind the rose that his life has become now. 

Smith was an ardent basketball player who has dreamt of playing in the NBA since he was a five year old. He dreamt basketball, ste badketi, drank basketball, his young adult life was all about basketball. He vigorously trained and practiced day and night everyday for nearly 20 years. 

   Smith, with girlfriend/manager, Bianca at an event during Paris Olympics

His dream paid off when he got a deal with Sacramento Kings, an NBA team in 2009. He was overjoyed. At last, he was living his dream. 

   Smith as a pro basketball player 

Thirty three days after signing, he was in rehearsals with his teammates when a major basketball star now, fell upon his knee and he got injured. The injury was so severe that he had two surgeries. The good news is he got well. The bad news? He could not play professional basketball any longer. 

He was crushed. He refused to accept it. Smith went on several rehabilitation efforts to get him back into the game. It did not happen. Sadness, anxiety and heavy depression followed for over a decade. 

Eventually, coupled with his strong faith in God, he came around. In 2029, he  intentionally founded Actively Black,  an athleisure wear line to rival sports giants who feed off black culture but never gave back to the African American community. He said black culture makes these blow up into mega billion dollar mega corporations from huge consumerism by blacks, their niche. 

Smith wants blacks to channel that energy that transformed these corporations into black owned businesses which will in turn, benefit black charities. For every profit made, the company donates ten percent to such charities. Now, the organization itself is now worth $30 million in four years. 

Smith got his first breakthrough when he collaborated with the Black Panther movie franchise, and the 2022 Winter Olympics. 

And now, Smith's company secured the deal to kit Team Nigeria to the 2024 Olympics. He stepped up to the plate and creates an amazing and beautiful range of adire traditional wear worn by many on opening ceremony day and sports kits like hoodies, bomber jackets, tees and shorts for the team's training and competitions. 

Team Nigeria athletes in Adire traditional outfits produced for the opening ceremony 

He thes hired a Lagos - based firm to do the tie and dye outfits, including a Nigerian photographer to do the video and photo shoots 

The sheer beauty and attention to detail in the designs has been generating wide administration and excitement online.

Without any doubt, this is the most beautiful kits worn by the Nigerian team in the Olympics. Nigerian athletes gushes and raved about its great texture, aesthetics which they said will definitely boost their confidence tremendously. 

And, it's all coming back home for Smith. Guess what? He is 32 percent Nigerian! It's home calling back his offspring and comforting him. 

Viva Actively Black !