Tristan Thompson explains why he was an early investor in a $900 billion AI company: “They were telling me about the future”
Over the years, NBA players like Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James have been widely praised for their business acumen, turning smart investments into massive wealth beyond basketball. Now, it seems Tristan Thompson is carving out a similar path — this time in the rapidly growing AI space.
The 2016 NBA champion recently revealed that he holds equity in Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI model. The startup is reportedly valued at around $900 billion, with growing speculations that it could go public as early as 2026.
That alone places Thompson in a rare circle of athletes who are not just investing, but doing so in cutting-edge industries with massive upside.
Interestingly, what makes this journey even more interesting is how he gained access. Thompson credited Silicon Valley dinners organized around NBA road games, where networking with tech insiders opened doors to such an opportunity.
“Playing against the Warriors and going to a couple of these dinners they were doing with the NBA, sitting there talking to these guys and really picking their brains. They were telling me about the future of AI and technology,” Thompson recalled . “I was like, ‘Hey man, I like what you’re talking about. You sound cool, sounds like you’re transparent. Here’s a check. I wanna get in the game.’”
TT ensured to write an even bigger check
Additionally, instead of investing individually, he participated through a special-purpose vehicle (SPV), pooling funds with other athletes to secure a stake in an otherwise oversubscribed funding round.
“From there they just opened up so much for me,” Thompson added. “I was able to get in early through SPVs and bring in my other buddies to make a bigger check.”
Anthropic itself has become one of the most talked-about AI companies, backed by giants like Alphabet Inc and Amazon.
With developments like expanding Claude’s capabilities into legal tech — helping law firms automate complex workflows — it’s clear the company is positioning itself at the forefront of enterprise AI solutions.
Thompson ensured to write an even bigger check
However, do not take Thompson for a passive investor here. He is also involved in the AI ecosystem through his own venture, Tracy AI, where he serves as co-founder, chief content officer and lead advisor.
The platform is designed as an AI-powered sports analytics agent, trained on basketball data such as stats and media coverage, capable of responding to speech and text theories. Put simply, its goal is to enhance how athletes train, perform, and even connect with fans.
“That’s the cool thing about this AI technology,” the former Cavs forward said . “It can do things that an (analytics staffer) can’t do because they don’t have the time to go and grab all that information and curate it into a response.”
That being said, while many startups today are rushing into AI, Tristan stands out as someone who not only believes in technology but is actively building within it. In many ways, he’s following the blueprint set by earlier NBA entrepreneurs — just in a far more futuristic lane.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
