Black creativity is the bedrock of American culture. To celebrate this legacy, Lexus and Complex partnered to create The New Guard: a three-part editorial series highlighting the new visionaries engineering a future we’ve yet to see—but will no doubt benefit from. For Lorenzo McCloud, his secret sauce to becoming one of the sport industry's most trusted names is in his “old-school” approach. For McCloud, honesty, integrity, and decency aren’t just his personal virtues; they’re also how he does business, and good business at that. In the final installment of the series, we highlight Lorenzo McCloud. Taking an unconventional route to his success, McCloud created his own path and set his own standard; something Lexus can get behind.
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There are skills you can build through practice and formal training, and then there's an expertise you’re born with.
For Lorenzo McCloud, his skillset is understanding people. Growing up in South Central, Los Angeles, things could get dicey from time to time, yet Zo, as friends and family call him, was able to create a common ground with just about everybody. Later in life, McCloud’s ability to break bread with people from all walks proved lucrative and helped him become one of the sports industry’s most trusted executives.
McCloud’s success is built on qualities he received from his parents. His father passed down an entrepreneurial spirit, and at the same time, he inherited his mother's generosity. “She definitely would give something of hers to the next person in a heartbeat,” he says. The extra razzle-dazzle he encompasses comes from the principles that govern basketball. As a child, McCloud and his cousins would play in his grandmother’s yard, which became a training ground for his athleticism, work ethic, and team mentality. He then graduated to rec league basketball, where he met a trainer and began taking the game more seriously. It’s also how he met his good friend James Harden.
While earning his communications degree from the University of the Pacific, Harden saw McCloud’s ability to get the best out of people long before he was drafted to the league. McCloud later scored the internship of a lifetime with Landmark Sports Agency under Rob Pelinka, who would later go on to become the general manager of the Lakers.
Once Pelinka’s title with the Lakers was official, McCloud launched his career as James Harden's business manager, a title that was fortified long before the two signed on the dotted line. McCloud then became a certified agent who brokered Harden's move to the 76ers.
For seven years, McCloud was responsible for his friend’s success and took the job seriously. Eventually, though, McCloud wanted to expand his resume. So, he pivoted, and in 2023, he joined Boardroom as director of talent relations, where he expanded the company’s media formats by launching a podcast platform, Aux Money, and built the talent roster. Then, in late 2025, McCloud took the ultimate leap by co-founding ECOS Group. Only a few months old, McCloud is putting everything he’s learned into the success of this new business by taking a holistic approach to the lives and careers of athletes.
Excellence, specifically Black excellence, is often portrayed as the catalyst for achievement, whether it be an award or some other tangible item. It’s hardly associated with the “soft skills” needed to maintain healthy, successful relationships, yet McCloud’s high moral and business standards are what make him successful. Lexus and McCloud understand there’s more than one way to be great.
In the final editorial installment of The New Guard series, we speak with Lorenzo McCloud about the “old-school” rules that govern his professional and personal success.
Rule Number 1: Use Your Ears
McCloud learned to listen to what people are saying, and then really listen to what people are saying. By choosing to say less, McCloud gets to the heart of the issue. “I listen more than I talk,” McCloud says. “I’m really trying to understand what people are saying because this business is high stakes. There’s a lot of pressure, money is involved, public images, etc. So, trying to be centered and solution-focused has been more of my superpower.”McCloud knows that people want to be understood, and by listening, he’s able to keep things professional, respectful, and above board at all times.
Rule Number 2: Lose Your Ego
McCloud deals with all kinds of personalities. Some are easygoing, and others, not so much, but it’s cool; McCloud has a hack for that.
“You might have to lose a little bit to gain a lot more,” he says. “Sometimes, dealing with overly aggressive people, you have to take a step back to understand their point of view and who they are.”McCloud understands that for some, being aggressive is how they achieved their success. However, dealing with passive personalities can be a bigger challenge. “I get so excited, and I see potential in a lot of people. So, pushing them to see the bigger picture is tougher.” For McCloud, a low ego now equals a high professional return later.
Rule Number 3: Don’t Be A Yes Man, But Be A Respectful Man
Much of McCloud’s success comes from his decades-long relationships. These aren’t just “colleagues,” they’re his friends and brothers, so the emotional investment is there. For McCloud, being transparent while also not agreeing to everything has gone a long way for him.“Telling the truth always hits later on down the line,” he says. “They know I have a good interest and a pure heart. I'm never in it for anything negative.”What’s the lesson? It may sound corny, but honesty really is the best policy.
Rule Number 4: Pivot
Ecos Group, short for Ecosystem Group, is ensuring athletes are set up for success during their prime years and after retirement. Building this brand has not been easy, and sometimes Lorenzo has had to make a sharp left after months of planning to go right.“One thing I’ve experienced is when you have big ideas that you want to accomplish or check off, and it is literally lined up and it is there ready to go, and then one mistake or one call happens, and now you have to pivot,” Lorenzo says. “It literally hurts because you built up months' worth of work, and then now you can’t do this, or you have to think about going the other way.”In life, just as in business, unexpected occurrences happen. Charge it to the game, but don’t stop playing the game…with integrity, of course.
Rule Number 5: There’s More Than One Way to Be Successful
Lorenzo didn’t grow up seeing successful people return to the hood and speak to him or his peers. So, in his dealings with clients now, he wants them to see the bigger picture.
“I got into management to help guys and to do it because I've seen no one from my environment come back, speak to kids, and let 'em know that it's okay if you don't become a rapper or athlete.”
Yes, McCloud knows a lot of athletes, but he also wants his clients to know there are so many other avenues that can be taken to supplement their current and future success.
Lorenzo McCloud’s rise wasn’t traditional, per se. He didn’t go to business school, and no one held his hand to formally teach him how to be a sports agent. Instead, McCloud leaned on the muscles he made growing up in LA, valuable lessons gleaned from his time at Landmark Sports Agency, and parlayed all of that into a valuable career. Remaining honest, always hustling, and staying the course has earned McCloud the respect and admiration of many.
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The New Guard had one goal: to highlight the vastness of Black creatives. Sierra Rena left the “security” of science to pursue her love of styling. J. Mulan refused to leave H-Town, bringing even more culture to Texas. And Lorenzo McCloud proved that “old-school” honesty, integrity, and decency aren’t just virtues, but also pillars for doing good business. Each of these creatives embodies a standard of excellence that mirrors what Lexus has made its North Star. Never bowing to “good enough” or settling for mediocre, J Mulan, Lorenzo McCloud, and Sierra Rena are the true definition of Black excellence.