Basketball players are often concerned about constantly improving their shooting skills, decision-making abilities, and dodging off the opposition, but rarely find a training device that helps them do so without the requirement of a team or another person.
The Original Profendor is here with a solution to exactly this problem of the athletes, where the company provides a device that simulates a real-life defender and has the capability of “closing in” and deflecting attacks as well.
The Original Profender at a Glance:-
| Idea | Simulation of a real Basketball defender |
| Founders | Tony Devine |
| Asked For | $75,000 for 15% |
| Accepted Deal | None |
| Sharks | None |
| Business status | In Business |
| Episode No. | Season 3, Episode 8 |
| Buy on Amazon | Buy Now! |
Index:
What is The Original Profender?
Original Profendor is a training device that simulates a defending player dodging and weaving in front of a player in basketball.
The device can be used by basketball players to train themselves for real matches by practicing their defense and attacks on a virtually simulated device.
The device helps players increase their in-game intellect, decision-making abilities, and most importantly functioning well under pressure.
This product aims to help athletes practice even without the availability of a full-fledged team and hone their skills in opposition to a real-life defender.
Founder Story:
The company was founded by Tony Devine when he was unable to find a suitable training kit for his son Devon, who wanted to practice his shooting skills when opposed by a larger number of defenders.
Tony, who himself is a basketball coach, sought to develop a device that simulates the movements of a real defender.
Tony developed the first prototype within a week of devising his plan. He has now reached Shark Tank with the aim of publicizing his device which is sure to be a major breakthrough in the basketball training sector.
The device is currently under development and is a mere prototype for now.
Did The Original Profender get a deal on Shark Tank?
Tony Devine entered Shark Tank with an ask of $75,000 for 15% equity in the company.
He then starts explaining the purpose and the aim of his product, along with its need and estimated market space. He claims that his device is the first ever to simulate “closing in” on an attacker.
Tony disclosed that he had made only $25,000 in sales in one year, that too through door-to-door sales. This was especially problematic, given the high price point of the product, i.e. $500.
Even though the company had managed to secure various celebrity endorsements, from the likes of Kevin Durant, the sales were still a major setback.
Despite all the sharks realizing the potential in the product, they decided to not go ahead with the deals because of various problem areas in the business, such as market size, high price-point, low sales, and so on.
Tony had to retrieve from Shark Tank without a deal.
What happened to The Original Profender after Shark Tank?
Not bagging a deal on Shark Tank did not deflate Tony Devine’s spirit of making his device a go-to portable practice kit for basketball players.
He trusted his creation and backed his business acumen to make the business stronger ever since.
Taking notes of all the criticism from the Sharks, he reviewed his strategy, improved the pricing point, secured contracts with professional basketball teams, such as the Miami Heat, Ohio State, etc., and increased the product lineup.
The price has now been reduced to $199 along with a smaller, but more portable version at $99.
Product Details:
- The Original Profender is a device that helps basketball players train against a simulated version of a real-life defender.
- It consists of a base with wheels for portability, a pole extending upwards, and an arm extending sideways.
- The arm consists of a blocking pad, which simulates a defender trying to block an attack.
- The arm height can be adjusted according to the heights of different players.
- The product is highly adjustable and has great mobility.
What’s the net worth of The Original Profender?
The company entered the tank with a demand of $75,000 for 15% equity, valuating the company to $500,000. Unable to secure the deal on Shark Tank, the further Net Worth could not be evaluated.
The current Net Worth of the company is estimated to be around $1 million as of 2023.
Who are the competitors of The Original Profender?
The competitors of The Original Profendor are:
- Elite Volleyball Academy
- Heathrow Hawks
- Born2ball LLC
- Blueprint Athletes Inc
- Nemesis Athletics, and many more.
Is The Original Profender still in business?
Yes, The Original Defender is still in business.
Even though Tony failed to grab any offers from the sharks, he has continued his zeal and passion for changing the basketball training sector with his device which has the potential to revolutionize the training market.
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FAQs:
What is The Original Profender?
Original Profendor is a training device that simulates a defending player dodging and weaving in front of a player in basketball.
What's the net worth of The Original Profender?
The current Net Worth of the company is estimated to be around $1 million as of 2023.