Alex Rodriguez credits Magic Johnson for inspiring him on his entrepreneurial journey
Alex Rodriguez has been seen as a figure of arrogance since his career hit a peak. Even after his retirement, Rodriguez has been seen the same. However recently, A-Rod gave a very frank interview where he showcased his honest self.
Rodriguez is an American citizen but his parents were originally from Dominican Republic. His parents were immigrants from the Dominican Republic. The former Yankees player was bought by his single mother in a middle class family. Rodriguez, however, has built up a business empire.
On April 19, Alex Rodriguez appearded alongside Henrik Lundqvist on the Club30 podcast. Rodriguez was asked how it felt to be someone of color who can represent the community in such a large area. Rodriguez recalled how he himself was inspired by another person of color. That person is Magic Johnson, who was not only a phenomenal NBA player but also a great businessman. He said:
"Growing up, there's not a lot of Magic Johnson's in my neighborhood, both in business and as an athlete. But when I saw Magic have an Hall of Fame career and I watched him closely in showtime. You know with the great team Kareem and led by Pat Riley and Dr. Buss.
"Then I saw him pivot to be a Hall of Fame businessman and bring those skills into the boardroom. And he is a man of color and that's the first time I said,... well why not us, we can do it. He's more like me than some white gentleman that runs Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan."
Watch the full conversation, starting at the 14:00 mark.
Alex Rodriguez has inspired a lot of the younger generation. Not only was he a great baseball player, but after retiring, he opened up his own holding company called A-Rod Corp. Rodriguez has dipped his toes in other business ventures as well.
Alex Rodriguez praised the owner of the Yankees, George Steinbrenner
In the same interview, Alex Rodriguez was asked what it was like for him to be recruited by such a big organization as the Yankees.
A-Rod said that the person who inspired and attracted him the most in the Yankees organization was the owner, George Steinbrenner. Rodriguez praised the Yankees' owner's leadership skills:
"It's all about George Steinbrenner. What he taught me was his vision, his ability to deploy capital, his ability to recruit the best people in the world and pay him handsomely."
8 years ago today, Alex Rodriguez hit his 660th career HR, tying him with Willie Mays for 4th all-time
https://t.co/V4Gy5D556Q
Rodriguez went on to say how Steinbrenner expected a lot from his players. But the expectations were what drove most of the Yankees players to do their best on the field.