What Makes a Real MVP NBA superstar Kevin Durant's manager and business partner talks about personal branding and working hard.

By David Meltzer

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Rich Kleiman is Kevin Durant's manager as well as his co-founder and business partner in Thirty Five Ventures, a startup that invests in tech companies. In this episode of #ThePlaybook, Kleiman talks with host David Meltzer about how his role and relationship with Durant has shifted over the years, how professional athletes are taking control of their personal brands and the importance of being known for the work you do.

Kleiman talks about why he no longer views himself as a sports agent and how his role has grown with time. He also talks about how today's biggest athletes are taking more charge of their brands and messaging than ever before.

Kleiman relates his experience of hearing Durant's famous MVP speech and how that moment inspired him to step up his work ethic. He also talks about the importance of being regarded for the work he does.

Related: The Three Things a Startup Needs
David Meltzer

Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, Speaker, Author and Business Coach

David Meltzer, co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing and host of Entrepreneur's podcast, “The Playbook”, is a Top 100 Business Coach, global public speaker and three-time international best-selling author who has been honored by Variety as “Sports Humanitarian of the Year”.

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