From grassroots to the pros, sports marketing executive Christopher Rivers has significantly influenced decision-making in the boardrooms of multiple sports brands. With a proven track record and an exceptional eye for identifying and developing relationships with basketball’s iconic athletes, Rivers has made his mark over the past two decades.
Early in his career, Rivers served as the chief lieutenant to industry leader Sonny Vaccaro, who was recently featured in the box office smash “Air.” Together, they ensured that Adidas and Reebok remained competitive with Nike for the hearts and feet of leading high school basketball prospects. Rivers is renowned for overseeing some of the industry’s iconic grassroots basketball events, including ABCD Camp, RBK U All American Camp, Boost Mobile Elite 24, Adidas Nations, Adidas Gauntlet, and The Path. He has also played a pivotal role as a brand athlete manager in the careers of NBA All-Stars, MVPs, and future Hall of Famers such as Derrick Rose, James Harden, Dwight Howard, Damian Lillard, Candace Parker and Tracy McGrady.
In the fall of 2022, Rivers joined one of the industry’s respected sports agencies, Excel Sports Management, as the Senior Director of NIL Recruiting. He was instrumental in helping to launch the NIL career of Mikey Williams, a five-star high school basketball and social media phenom, officially to the sports marketing world. With Rivers’ guidance and leadership, Mikey Williams secured multiple multiyear endorsements with global brands such as Puma, Topps and NBA2k before the start of his junior year of high school. In this role, he identifies student-athletes beginning their journey towards professional basketball, providing guidance to them and their families. He assists prospects in developing their personal brands while ensuring they remain focused on skill development and the goal of playing professional sports.
Photo Courtesy: Christopher Rivers
In the fall of 2023, Rivers returned to his roots as a coach and launched a leadership platform called Chris Rivers RAPP (CRR). Rivers began his coaching career as an undergraduate at UC Davis in 1992. His passion for molding and guiding young people eventually led to a short career in teaching at St. Joseph-Notre Dame High School in Alameda, CA, and Garfield Elementary School in San Leandro, CA. Coaching remained his true passion, with multiple seasons on the sidelines in basketball, youth football, and lacrosse games, as well as building a track and competitive cross-country program.
This background in leadership, mentoring young people, and public speaking made the development of Chris Rivers RAPP a seamless undertaking. Through this venture, Rivers creates programming to help competitive young athletes and their mentors have a healthier sports journey. Over the years, he witnessed multiple athletes fall short of expectations and capabilities, usually due to misguided career planning, mental fatigue and family pressures. He is extremely passionate about connecting one on one with parents and sharing not only his industry experience, but also his growth and regrets as a sports dad. This endeavor has taken him across the country, speaking to more than 25 teams, hosting impactful parents’ seminars, being featured on national panels, and appearing as a guest on nearly a dozen podcasts.
Photo Courtesy: Christopher Rivers
“Chris Rivers has a way of expressing his life lessons and message in a way that resonates with today’s youth. By sharing all his experiences at the peaks and valleys of grassroots basketball, Chris Rivers was able to relate and captivate my players in such a positive way. We have a new team mantra after the Chris Rivers RAPP . . . Get 1% better every day!'”
– Jordan Marks, Head Basketball Coach The Neighborhood Academy (Pittsburgh, PA)
Over the years, Rivers has been influenced and inspired by countless individuals like (Tony Robbins, Ed Mylett, David Goggins, and Eric Thomas) who contributed to the development of CRR. He takes pride in being a lifelong learner and annually tries to attend seminars and conferences to stay updated on current events and cultural trends.
Photo Courtesy: Christopher Rivers
Today, he is driven to help others succeed and to pay it forward with plans to start a college tour this fall hosting seminars to help coaches establish a winning culture from day one.
Rivers has also been featured in two seasons of “Ball in the Family” as well as in sports documentaries “Manchild,” “At All Costs,” and “Gunning for the No. 1 Spot.” A native of Oakland, California, and a UC Davis alum, Rivers lives in the Portland, Oregon, area with his wife of thirty years and has two adult children.
Follow Christopher Rivers on Instagram @TheRealCrivers and Twitter @ChrisRiversTSM. For booking information, visit www.ChrisRiversRAPP.com.
Published by: Martin De Juan
