New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, fresh off leading his team to a championship, is set to share his insights on leadership and finance at the inaugural Wall Street Journal Sports: The Next Sports Economy event. The event, co-hosted by The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones, will take place in Manhattan from July 15-16.
Brunson will participate in a moderated conversation with Kristin Lemkau, CEO of J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. Their discussion will focus on money, leadership, and financial empowerment for the next generation of athletes. This appearance comes after Brunson's pivotal role in ending the Knicks' 53-year championship drought, including a 45-point performance in the series-clinching Game 5, despite playing with a wrist injury that required surgery.
The two-day event aims to explore "sports as a high-performance global asset class." Panelists and speakers will delve into market forces influencing investment and dealmaking within the sports industry. Topics will include how athlete brand equity contributes to institutional value and the practical aspects of sports figures transitioning into executive roles.
Other notable figures scheduled to speak include Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, RedBird Capital Partners operating partner and former soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović, and NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy.
Industry leaders from finance and sports investment will also be featured, such as Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital Partners; K. Don Cornwell, co-founder and CEO of Dynastic Equity; Marc Lasry, chairman and CEO of Avenue Capital Group; and Sam Porter, chief strategy officer of Apollo Sports Capital.
The event will commence with a cocktail reception and feature musical performances by cellist Tina Guo and violinist Leah Zeger. Singer, composer, and pianist Jon Batiste is slated to perform at the dinner reception.