One of the coolest little innovations in sports merch this year is this handy basketball carrier:
The CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER reports now-seventeen-year-old entrepreneur Adrian Lindsey created the item called the “All-Net Sak” five years ago, and he and his family have spent five years trying to bring it to to market.
The bag originally was developed from an “ordinary basketball net into a practical bag for carrying a ball.” Eventually, a local Wal-Mart decided to stock the sack, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are now selling the carrier in their team store.
The P-D’s piece about Lindsey reveals more than a kid just out to make a buck. Excerpt:
That’s why Adrian, who plans to become a doctor, donated 60 All-Net Saks to kids taking part in the LeBron James King for Kids Bikeathon in Akron last summer. He also donated a portion of his revenue and did volunteer work to help East Cleveland’s Shaw High School marching band raise more than $20,000 to perform at the Beijing Olympics.
Lindsey has given away hundreds of ball carriers in his quest to help the underprivileged while also getting word out about his unique item. I have a feeling this might be a wildfire-catcher with kids. I sure know I wish I had had one when I was bouncing around the playground.
You can find out more about the carrier by going here.
2:20 pm on November 6th, 2008
Great kid. Great story.
2:26 pm on November 6th, 2008
This is too cool. I hope Adrian makes millions - he deserves it.
2:28 pm on November 6th, 2008
Makes me want to take up basketball, just so I can buy one of Adrian's Saks.
2:30 pm on November 6th, 2008
Adrian's smart, ambitious, good-hearted - so he'll never make it in today's business world.
Good luck to him, anyway.
2:32 pm on November 6th, 2008
Heh heh - ball Sak.
2:36 pm on November 6th, 2008
LeBron who? This kid is the real superstar of Cleveland basketball.
2:43 pm on November 6th, 2008
Gotta give it up to Adrian. And helping his high school team travel to the Olympics was super awesome, too.
2:49 pm on November 6th, 2008
It's great that he was able to accomplish producing this, and it's even greater the Cavs are selling in their team store. Maybe the NBA can help spread the word and sell it through their own online store.
2:59 pm on November 6th, 2008
Wonder if this contraption works with other balls.
3:07 pm on November 6th, 2008
Awesome invention, and its good to see he's already donating a lot to charities.
3:17 pm on November 6th, 2008
Agent Zero:
Probably good for soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs. Not so good for bowling balls.
3:23 pm on November 6th, 2008
How about foosballs? Can I put all my foosballs in my sak?
O'Doyle Rules!
4:26 pm on November 6th, 2008
That sak will make it mucher harder to steal this kids balls….and trust me I will steal them all!
P.S. I own the patent to this invention. 50% of the funds may go to the little boys charity, but the other 50% is going to pkrails' fund.
5:09 pm on November 6th, 2008
This Sak is a slam dunk!
7:38 pm on November 6th, 2008
Someone better get this guy front-row season seats to the Cavs.
7:42 pm on November 6th, 2008
So this kid comes up with a way to carry basketballs. What's the big deal?
9:05 pm on November 6th, 2008
Kudos to Adrian. The world could use more young men like him.
10:03 pm on November 6th, 2008
Phil:
The big deal is that this young man invented a useful product and put all his energies into helping others while doing it. You don't hear many feel-good stories like these nowadays.
11:07 pm on November 6th, 2008
It's a very cool idea. I hope they sell faster than Obama shirts!
10:42 am on November 7th, 2008
Um, did anybody else realise that this is just a net…for a ball? How can you patent that?!
4:57 pm on November 7th, 2008
This is dumb. A basketball doesn't need to be carried in a bag.. Honestly, are people that lazy?
If a kid had a basketball he'd be dribbling it around everywhere, not hanging it over his shoulder
11:24 pm on November 7th, 2008
Maybe Lebron can travel all over the court carrying the ball with this carrier now
11:27 pm on November 7th, 2008
I don't understand why it is so hard to dribble a basketball as opposed to carrying it. May even increase handling skills. I respect the kids entreprenuerial skills, but seriously. Doesn't it defeat the purpose of abasketball?
6:35 pm on September 30th, 2009
Thsi invention was created as a safer way to carry a basketball, football, clothing whatever you want to the park. If your on a bike you can use both hands. If your walking theres less of a chance of it bouncing off the shoe.
Hey anonymous not everyone has those skills. Safety first !!