• Hunter Pomerantz
    Feb 22 2023

    This week, Long Island Nets SVP Alton Byrd and co-host Jason Weick sat down with former Long Island Nets intern and co-founder of The Players Trunk, Hunter Pomerantz. The Players Trunk is a platform where former college and professional athletes can monetize on the gear they have earned during their careers.

    The Players Trunk was featured on the Season 13 Finale of Shark Tank and has also been utilized as a platform for the Long Island Nets to auction off special edition game-worn jerseys.

    In this episode, Hunter gives advice for young entrepreneurs, talks about his experience on Shark Tank and so much more!

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    25 mins
  • Dylan Frank
    Feb 8 2023

    This week, Long Island Nets SVP Alton Byrd and co-host Max Milstein sat down with Dylan Frank, an eleven-year-old Long Island Nets and Brooklyn Nets super fan. Dylan is currently in the sixth grade and his dream is to be a sports announcer and interviewer.  Dylan has been a day one Long Island Nets fan, coming to all the games since the team started playing at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  In this episode, Alton Byrd discusses advice for younger people looking to get into the sports industry, Dylan does his best Tony Love impression and so much more!

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    13 mins
  • Rick Cole Jr.
    Feb 1 2023

    On the premiere episode of Season Two of the LIneup, Long Island Nets SVP Alton Byrd and co-host JJ Beale sat down with Rick Cole Jr., the current Vice President and Director of Athletics at Hofstra University. Cole Jr., is an innovative leader with more than 20 years' experience at college sports programs across the New York Metro area and was most recently the Vice President of Athletics Administration at Iona College. He was named the Director of Athletics at Hofstra University on March 28, 2018. Cole brought expertise in external relations including, fundraising and marketing, and is dedicated to the success of student-athletes in their chosen sports and in the classroom.

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    21 mins
  • Portia Archer
    Mar 22 2022
    This week, Long Island Nets VP Alton Byrd and co-host Jalen Tart sat down with Portia Archer, the current Chief Operating Officer of the NBA G League. Prior to joining the NBA G League, Archer served as Senior Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer Services for NBC Sports Group. In her role, she was responsible for the launch, development, and management of more than 20 sports/properties. Archer also founded NBC Sports Group’s first mentorship program, “Huddle Up,” dedicated to fostering connections and growth opportunities for employees. Archer is a member of the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Trustees and a Betsy Magness Leadership Fellow. In 2018, she was named a Sports Business Journal “Game Changer” and one of Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports. A Chicago native, Archer played college basketball at the University of Chicago, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and economics. She also holds an MBA in management and strategy from Columbia Business School.  
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    25 mins
  • John Buck
    Feb 17 2022

    This week, Long Island Nets VP Alton Byrd and co-host Yaw Bonsu sat down with John Buck, the current Head of School and men’s varsity basketball coach at Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School. Mr. Buck is a Long Island Lutheran graduate, class of 2002. At LuHi, he was a three year member of the varsity basketball team, and went on to play collegiate basketball at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was a member of Wake Forest's 2003 ACC regular season championship team, and was voted co-captain during his senior season. Coach Buck has led the Crusaders to two state Federation titles, in 2011 and 2012, and was named New York State Sportswriters Coach of the Year in 2011.

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    16 mins
  • Josh Gray
    Jan 19 2022

    This week, Long Island Nets VP Alton Byrd and co-host Emily Austin sat down with Josh Gray, guard for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. He started his college career at Texas Tech, then went on to be a Junior College All-American at Odessa College before spending his final two seasons at LSU. After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Gray tried out with the Orlando Magic in the 2016 NBA Summer League and was then acquired by the Northern Arizona Suns, beginning his G-League career. He made his NBA debut in February 2018, signing two ten-day contracts with the Phoenix Suns. In July 2019, Gray joined the Brooklyn Nets for the 2019 NBA Summer League and was then signed to a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. He was acquired by Long Island this September.

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    10 mins
  • Val Ackerman
    Aug 2 2021

    This week, Long Island Nets VP Alton Byrd and co-host John Lemmiti sat down with Val Ackerman, the Commissioner of the Big East Basketball Conference. Val was also the founding President of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and is a past President of USA Basketball, which oversees both the U.S. men's and women's Olympic basketball program. Some of her other accolades include a 2008 IOCs Women of Distinction diploma, being named a Champion in Sports Business by Sports Business Journal, being named a US Delegate to the Central Board of the International Basketball Federation and an inductee of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2011. She is one of the few executives in sports who has held leadership positions in both men’s and women’s sports at the collegiate, professional, national team, and international levels. 

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    22 mins
  • Michael Pfaff
    Jun 2 2021

    This week, Long Island Nets VP Alton Byrd and co-host John Mullen sat down with Michael Pfaff, the President and General Manager of the Long Island Ducks, a professional baseball team in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, based in Central Islip, Suffolk County, New York. Pfaff has 27 years of experience in the sports business. Michael has been with the Ducks since 2002, took over as GM in 2006, and was named president in 2011. Before joining the Ducks, Michael worked at the National Football League Commissioner's Office for seven years. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from St. John’s University.  

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    15 mins