Oronde Booker and his 14-year-old son, Kendall, are the founders of BookDawg Sports, a Black-owned athletic supply company in Atlanta. Booker had long been supporting his son at team practices and games when he noticed that all of the equipment used by the players, trainers, and coaches was developed by four companies – none of which were Black-owned. That realization inspired him to create his own company, which would become a major supplier of athletic products.
What does the HW101 mean on the basketball?
It means hard work. I put 101 because no matter what level you are when you go into the gym, you have to start with warmups. You have to start stretching. There’s a process to doing everything. You have to put that hard work in and you have to determine what your process is for whatever you’re doing in life. It’s not just basketball or sports, it’s everything that you do in life. You have to put in hard work, and I like to deal with people who like to work hard. I want that to be a representation of, if you see this, you’re going to want to put that effort in, and you’re going to want to go above and beyond. When I was growing up playing football, they told us to give 110 percent. I don’t know how the h— you can do that, but that’s what we had to do.
How important has your son been to this company?
He’s been really inspirational. I want to leave something for my kids and build generational wealth so that they can have something for themselves. I can create generational wealth through this company, and we’re going to see new products, apparel, and other things that we plan on making. We’re creating a footprint for us, and they can have this to grow on and do other things that will grow the company. My son’s been there for inspiration all the time, being a part of the process as far as testing the balls out and looking for when the shipment was coming. He wants to be a part of it, and he’s just learning the business through this process.
Where can people find you?
You can find us at www.bookdawgsports.com. You can find us on Instagram @therealbookdawgsports, and you can find us on Facebook at BookDawg Sports.
