Today we’d like to introduce you to Lee Altman.
Lee, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey to working with top athletes in the sports industry such as Kyle Kuzma, Von Miller, Lonzo Ball, and many others began with great work experiences with a team, a league and a media company. But the real beginning of my journey was Boston sports.
I hail from Boston; the “City on the Hill” where sports gets ingrained in your DNA. From Tom Brady winning his first Super Bowl in 2001-2002 (and five after) and the Red Sox breaking Babe Ruth’s curse to win the World Series in 2004, sports have defined my life.
An initial break in my sports career was when I joined the New England Patriots Media Relations Department for the 2015-2016 season. Although the team lost in the AFC Championship that season, I received a Super Bowl-caliber learning experience from the talented media team.
Following the Patriots, I headed to a burgeoning media startup in NYC called The Players’ Tribune, founded by Yankees legend Derek Jeter. I contributed to the Tribune’s innovative work in the athlete storytelling space.
My next stop was at the National Basketball Association’s League Office, where I worked in their new Emerging Media Department. I was at the forefront of the NBA’s aggressive and rapid expansion into the digital space both domestically and internationally. During my time at the league office, I wrote for NBA.com and WNBA.com, including profiles on top players: http://global.nba.com/news/larry-sanders-path-back/.
While working at the NBA, I returned to Boston to attend the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and had the good fortune to meet one of the panelists, Maverick Carter, a co-founder and CEO of several companies and LeBron James’ business partner.
Shortly after, Maverick and his team brought me on to work at one of his and LeBron’s companies – a national athlete empowerment company based in Los Angeles – where I work with athletes to give their voice a platform.
One of the many responsibilities I enjoy in this position is shooting photographs of athletes for the company’s social channels. As I’ve built my photography portfolio, I’ve had opportunities to utilize these skills in other industries, such as fashion. For instance, I recently shot Los Angeles Lakers star Kyle Kuzma as the model for the clothing brand UNDEFEATED’s look book for their Nike collaboration: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1jyFHPB9uf/
To see how far the company has come in the two years I’ve been here, I truly feel that there is no ceiling to the heights it can reach. I am honored to be involved in a business that seeks to not only empower athletes but also to create positive change in the world.
As an example, I worked with NBA star Mike Conley as he donated half a million dollars and brought awareness to the Sickle Cell Disease Center in his adopted hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. We produced a documentary on the endeavor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSstZ0aY9fA.
Sports have never been just a game to me; it has been my outlet, my educator, my dream and now my career. I have been fortunate to work in several first-class organizations and am grateful for the guidance and mentorship of many. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the sports industry. My hope is that I can be the next helping hand to show a kid that dreams do come true.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @lee_altman
- Twitter: @altman_lee
Image Credit:
Lee R. Altman Photography
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