FEATURED INVENTOR

Adrian Lindsey: How to Carry a Basketball

When he was twelve years old, Adrian Lindsey rode his bicycle to the neighborhood basketball courts carrying his ball under one arm. He dropped his ball a lot. When he complained to his mother, she encouraged him to stop complaining and solve the problem. With pencil and paper, Lindsey solved the problem by inventing a unique carry bag designed like a basketball net. He called his invention the All-Net Sak.

Lindsey is from Akron, Ohio—just outside of Cleveland. In 2007 he emailed Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers about his invention. One of Gilbert’s assistants introduced Lindsey to the director of an entrepreneurship program Gilbert started in Michigan. This introduction made it possible for 60 of his All-Net Saks to be given away at a Cavs game. It also got the product on the shelf at the Cavs Team Shop.

Retailing his invention hasn’t been easy. Lindsey and his mother went to many retailers. They all liked the All-Net Sak but wouldn’t take a chance on it. Another barrier he faced was production cost. All of the product design quotes he received were around $20,000. So he and his mother found a small marketing firm in Akron who made the product look more professional for only $75.00. A promotional products company in Akron that specializes in the manufacture of bags made the manufacturing costs reasonable. Family members contributed $500 for development of a web site.

Lindsey sought product exposure by donating 60 All-Net Saks to kids participating in the LeBron James King for Kids Bikeathon in Akron. He also volunteered and donated part of his revenue to help the East Cleveland Shaw High School marching band perform at the Beijing Olympics. Lindsey has been inducted into the Young Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame of the National Museum of Education in Akron.

He says “You have to believe in yourself. There’s going to be good times and bad times, but if you stick with it, you can push through the difficult times.”

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