From a Homemade Idea to a Billion-Dollar Recovery Brand
Anthony Katz’s journey began with a simple goal: to soothe his aching knees after years of basketball wear and tear. What started as a homemade solution in 2009 evolved into Hyperice, a dynamic recovery company now synonymous with elite athletes and major partnerships, including Nike. Katz’s story highlights how personal experience, innovation, and perseverance can transform an idea into a global brand.
The Kobe Co-Sign
The inception of Hyperice traces back to Katz’s return from a year in Australia, where he noticed his body was breaking down due to basketball’s physical demands. Inspired by NBA legends like Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, who used ice therapy for recovery, Katz sought to improve upon the standard American method of icing knees with plastic bags.
He approached Alita Wetsuits, a remaining neoprene factory in California, with a rough sketch for a knee sleeve equipped with Velcro to hold an ice bag. Using leftover wetsuit scraps, Katz crafted a prototype in just a few hours. Wearing it during pickup games at UC Irvine, the device caught the attention of his friend Ryan, who happened to be Kobe Bryant’s handler.
Recognizing the potential, Ryan asked Katz to make a pair for Kobe. Katz produced more prototypes, adding Kobe’s logo to the ice bags for flair. When Katz met Kobe at UC Irvine, he demonstrated the device, which Kobe liked but critiqued for issues like the air bubble caused by melting ice. Kobe encouraged Katz to improve the design and promised he’d wear it if it outperformed his current gear, injecting the first spark of serious ambition into Katz’s project.
Kobe wearing a Hyperice shoulder wrap during a Lakers game
Image Credit: John Leyba | The Denver Post via Getty Images
Mamba Mentality
Motivated by Kobe’s feedback and support, Katz contemplated turning his art project into a business. The prospect of building a brand endorsed by top athletes was compelling. He envisioned expanding beyond knee sleeves to shoulder and back devices, embarking on a steep learning curve about manufacturing and product design.
Despite challenges in finding manufacturers during a recession and setbacks like the tragic loss of a Chinese project manager, Katz pivoted and committed to producing Hyperice entirely in the U.S. From Pomona to Huntington Beach, every component was locally made, allowing Katz to oversee quality firsthand.
Petitioning The King
With prototypes in hand, Katz focused on building credibility by distributing devices to influential NBA players. By 2011, he secured a $500,000 investment from an NFL player’s family office, despite having no sales yet. Although Kobe’s business manager initially blocked deeper collaboration, Katz shifted his focus to LeBron James.
LeBron’s trainer, Mike Mancias, embraced Hyperice, bringing it to Nike-sponsored trips with top players. A pivotal meeting at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills introduced Katz to Nike’s Global Vice President of Sports Marketing and Basketball, Lynn Merritt, who recognized the product’s potential but noted the challenge of incorporating Nike’s branding.
Meeting LeBron James and his team further solidified Katz’s position. During the 2012 NBA lockout charity game in Miami, Katz gifted Hyperice braces to players, who wore them en masse, exemplifying organic athlete endorsement without traditional marketing.
Full Circle Moments
Hyperice officially launched its website and brand, with early sales hitting approximately $350,000 in the first year mainly through professional and collegiate teams. Innovation continued with the release of the Vyper vibrating foam roller in 2014 and the Hypervolt portable massage gun, which dramatically accelerated revenue growth from $10 million to $65 million in just one year.
Jim Huether joined as CEO, bringing a vision to position Hyperice as the “Apple of recovery,” focusing on intuitive, design-driven, and premium products rather than chasing fleeting trends. This strategic direction helped the company evolve into an industry leader in athlete recovery technology.
A significant milestone was Hyperice’s partnership with Nike, culminating in a recovery slide integrating Air Zoom cushioning with heat and vibration — a deal once thought unattainable. In 2019, Katz sent Hypervolt samples to 100 cultural influencers, including Kobe Bryant, who praised the company’s progress and remained a symbolic figure in its journey.
Katz’s story exemplifies how experience-driven innovation, strategic partnerships, and unwavering dedication can build an authoritative and trusted brand in a competitive market. Hyperice’s rise from a handmade neoprene sleeve to a powerhouse in sports recovery technology underscores the power of perseverance and athlete collaboration.
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