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When Start-Ups Come to the Sports World

New leagues are springing up to challenge stalwarts in a variety of sports. (Illustration by Sinelab)

Compared to the familiar rhythms of his 15-season NBA career, life in the startup world has thrown many new challenges at David West. There are speaking engagements to attend and strategy meetings to schedule, investment decks to pitch and potential business partners to vet. "I bought these cell boosters to make the signal stronger at my house in the woods," says West, 39, who retired to Raleigh in August 2018 after winning back-to-back titles as a backup big man with the Warriors, "because I'm on the phone all the damn time now.