Hot Sauce was AND1's highly skilled athlete

Philip Champion was very talented with the ball in his hands.

Philip Champion aka Hot Sauce was one of the most prominent players in the AND1 streetball team.

Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Champion was pretty famous in his neighborhood, spending most of his time on a basketball court. His fame shot to another level in 2002, when he was offered the opportunity to join AND1’s Mixtape Tour.

The tour was introduced by basketball apparel manufacturer AND1, which became famous for selling T-shirts with very relatable slogans. The tour came to fruition after a mixtape it released during the 1998-99 NBA lockout turned into an instant hit. The company decided to go on tour to check out talent in different cities, which led to it finding Hot Sauce in Atlanta.

Hot Sauce got a spot on the AND1 team, which shuffled its roster from time to time. But he was highly skilled and retained his spot for a long time. The AND1 team continued to grow in popularity and size, and it was soon competing with big brands such as Nike with its own shoe line.

The team went places not only in the United States but globally, taking the concept of streetball to a whole new level. Fans lined up for games and the streetball players' popularity skyrocketed. Even NBA stars started recognizing them.

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As Hot Sauce's popularity grew, he was given an opportunity to act in a basketball movie titled "Crossover" in 2006. He inspired basketball folks around the world, and some of his moves can be seen in the NBA even today.

Although the AND1 brand was ultimately bought out in 2005 by American Sporting Goods, some of the players managed to utilize their skills to stay relevant even now. During the 2017-18 NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks ran a promotion that involved fans trying to guard Hot Sauce for just 24 seconds.

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What is Philip Champion aka Hot Sauce’s current net worth?

Although many players seemed unhappy with the money they made based on the Netflix documentary “Untold: The Rise and Fall of AND1", Philip Champion wasn’t in the same boat. The company’s management signed contracts with each of the streetball players, but their value was based on their popularity.

Philip Champion is reportedly worth $300,000, per celebritynetworth.com, and was among the top earners back in the day. People loved him and his style of play, and he was a source of inspiration for many hoopers. The streetballer, 'The Professor,' has often spoken about how he used to be a fan of Hot Sauce and watched all of his mixtapes.

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AND1 Mixtape’s third volume was entirely dedicated to Philip Champion and contained some of his highlight plays.