The initial set of blogs brought both praise and backlash from varying fields.  “Trainer” can have so many definitions.  Just as I had provoked thought, the feedback had provided great challenge and conversation.  That is the thing I have loved about my career as a basketball “skills trainer and career consultant” and mostly about working at IMG Academies.  Learning from and meshing disciplines for more results.  This takes me to my topic for this week:  Does extended time off from normal seasonal activities increase a 1%er’s ability to perform?

While grinding it out on the court with our players, I have had the professional pleasure of watching the IMG Madden Football Academy Director Coach Chris Weinke prepare Cam Newton for the upcoming rigors of his rookie campaign.  Weinke is the best; just like I love being in the gym all day and night, this guy will doesn’t sleep when his clients have a bad day on the field.

Cam is a 1%er, and not because he was the 1^st pick or won a national championship.  He has bigger than prototypical size, athleticism, and skill at his position.  Another major factor in the 1%er theory is early identification.  This is where a kid 13-18 does not lead a normal teenage life, because of his success on a national level in his sport and constant long term potential conversations.

Cam is a beast with his workout routine and I am not impressed by anyone who considers 50 hours a week work.  I have seen Kobe and KG put in work, and that look in Cam’s eye is the same (of course my favorite part was watching him shoot around with our international campers in the night time).  This dedication to the classroom, field, and performance training is one thing, but getting the tag team expertise of different disciplines is fun to watch and learn from.

Last summer I had two 1%er projects that we used similar systems to develop.  Shawne Williams, who had been out of the NBA for over a year and Derek Caracter, whose high school phenom straight to the NBA plans were curtailed by David Stern’s “one and done” mandate.  We were lucky enough to have them for nearly 5 straight months.  On court skill training, performance work, film study, vision training, motivation work and number one priority, nutritional education.  The results were great.  Shawne had a great year with the New York Knicks and Derek was drafted by the repeating champ Los Angeles Lakers.  More importantly, it was a change from the norm and a time for them to focus on exactly what they needed.

This school year we had the pleasure of working with another 1%er, Deandre Daniels, a highly ranked academically qualified player who decided not to enter college and work on his game and body.  This prep year was much different than the Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler overseas experiments.  The two-a-day skills and weightlifting sessions were much more than the 20 hours per week he would have got had he gone to school this year.

His recent commitment UCONN is a great fit and Coach Loren Jackson and Stephen Visk did an unbelievable job of getting Deandre’s mind and body ready to be an impact player for the National Champs.  Another example of a 1%er taking time off from the norms to work at different disciplines to come out way ahead before entering his next challenge.

As I think about Terrell Pryor’s next move, I think he should take a step back to take a step forward.  My Pittsburgh roots have me rooting for him to overcome all this adversity.  Not work on his off-field issues, but with his skills, mind and body.  Improve and learn what it takes to be the best at the next level.  The best at reading defensive schemes, 5 step drops, and working with personnel 3-10 years older.

Though college can help immensely, a personal “pro plan” might have you more ready for impact regardless of where you land and what your bonuses are.  Pryor has flaws as a quarterback, and 6 months of working with a dedicated develop program, watching film, enhancing his body and footwork is a lot better than being a 4^th string QB that they are talking about moving positions after the supplemental draft.  Worst case, his transition to the NFL is much easier.

Time off, mixing disciplines with experts, and personal attention with a plan might be what every 1%er athlete needs to make that next step a sure thing.  I would love to hear other stories and thoughts about this.

Trainer Take: Time Off To Take Off from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

In the past year, I have had the pleasant opportunity of representing talented basketball players, finding them playing opportunities overseas, negotiating the terms of their contracts, making sure that they get overseas safely, continuing to monitor their progress, and staying in touch with them constantly through Skype.  I love the fact that there is a global market in the sport of basketball; it opens up a variety of opportunities for players who would be left working low paying jobs back in America if those leagues overseas did not exist.  Or if they are talented enough to play in the NBA’s D-League, most of them still would be making less than what they are bringing in overseas.  But the overseas game is not for everybody, especially those who are not mature enough to handle it, have a strong potential in the NBA, and are not aligned with the right people to take care and nurture them in their time in a foreign country.

Case in point: Jeremy Tyler.  Everyone was talking about Jeremy Tyler in April 2009.  Before that month, I had never even heard of the kid.  He saw what Brandon Jennings did by playing overseas instead of going to school for a year (Jennings was also ruled academically ineligible to play), and raised it by leaving high school a year early to go play for Maccabi Haifa.  Daring, trailblazing…stupid?  In hindsight, maybe.  I can’t say yes or no, but for right now I’ll go with yes, pretty stupid.

I wrote the following statement on April 29, 2009,

If you think college is a shock to someone who has grown up with his parents doing the laundry and cooking dinner, jumping overseas alone would have the potential of seriously threatening a young kid’s psyche.

Tyler wanted a high level of competition more than the amount of money he would get paid (supposedly).  Little did he know that the competition would actually be too high for him.  Sure, he could pull a Brandon Jennings (unsuccessful overseas, yet successful in the NBA), but Tyler is also different in Jennings in that Tyler could not even complete the terms of his overseas contract.  Last week, Tyler left Maccabi Haifa and came back to the United States.  He was through with playing in Israel.  I’m sure his average of 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 7.6 minutes will be sorely missed.

And then what about his agent?  Even if you didn’t know that Tyler was leaving Israel early to return home, can’t you at least play it off like you knew all along?  This was all a part of a larger strategy, no? No..

Tyler’s agent said he wasn’t aware of his client’s plans to leave the team.

“I’m as surprised as you are. We had no idea he was coming home,” Makhtar Ndiaye of the Wasserman Media Group told ESPN’s William Weinbaum. “I’m speechless at this point and look forward to speaking with Jeremy. A contract, a learning process — things weren’t great — but it was part of growing up. I’m disappointed and frustrated.”

Definitely not how I would have handled the media.  But to each his own.  The one thing that passage reminded me of is what Seth Davis said few months ago.

I did a triple take when I read that Tyler’s agents at Wasserman Media Group had the brilliant idea to send Makhtar Ndiaye, who is one of their agents, over to Israel to, as Thamel put it, “help [Tyler] focus.” Ndiaye, you may recall, is the former North Carolina forward who accused Utah freshman Britton Johnsen of calling him the N-word during the Tar Heels’ loss to the Utes at the 1998 Final Four. When the accusation rightly caused a major stir, Ndiaye was forced to admit he had totally made it up. Ndiaye played very briefly in the NBA and also spent some time in the NBDL, where he once drew a five-second call on an inbounds play because he was waving at a friend in the stands. This, my friends, is Jeremy Tyler’s lodestar.

Can Arn Tellem please come in for the rescue?

Shalom, Jeremy Tyler from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Just a few days after an impressive 32 point, 9 assist performance against Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets, Brandon Jennings dropped an insane stat line. 55 points on 21/34 from the field (62%), 7/8 from 3pt range (88%), 5 rebounds and 5 assists with 4 turnovers. What makes his 55 point performance even more impressive is that he failed to score a point in the first quarter, went for 29 in the third, and most important of all, led his team to a victory.

Jennings’ difficult time in Europe has been well documented. From getting kicked out of practice for not working hard enough, to meager playing time and scoring output, many skeptics deemed his choice a failure very early on. However, Jennings apparently learned a great deal in his year abroad. While his flashy style and controversial public comments have painted one picture of Jennings, his actions and performance in the NBA have displayed something very different thus far.

When top scorer Michael Redd went down with yet another knee injury, many said “here we go again” for the woeful Bucks. However, Jennings apparently was not one of them. He has picked up the scoring load, shown poise and leadership, helping to guide his team to a 5-2 record with a 4 game win streak. He is also leading his team in points (25.6) and assists (5.1). Jennings is also adding over 4 rebounds a game, 1 steal and shooting nearly 50% from the floor and 57% on 3pt.

There is no question that we surely will see players choose the path of Brandon Jennings by going to Europe as opposed to their requisite year of college. There also certainly will be those who are not fit to make that jump. Hopefully we do not see a rash of “advisors” steering players who should be playing college basketball, towards the overseas payday for their own monetary gain; however, it may in fact be a good move for some players.

Maybe it takes a year of sitting on a bench in Europe, getting treated like any other professional player and having to work hard, rather than walking around a college campus like a celebrity for a year. Maybe it is too stressful for some to be labeled the next Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, etc. every night on ESPN during March Madness. Maybe, for some, this really is a successful path to choose.

While it is still too early to grade the Jennings experiment a complete success, I would venture to say that he is off to an exceptional start and proving a lot of doubters wrong. Somewhere Sonny Vaccaro is smiling.

Grading The Jennings Experiment from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

You have heard of Brandon Jennings.  He had problems attaining the requisite scores to go to a D1 school and decided to play his first year out of high school overseas.  His struggles were documented, but he was still a lottery pick of the Milwaukee Bucks.  There were many doubters.  He has shut them up thus far.  Through five games, Jennings is leading the Bucks in points-per-game (18.4), assists-per-game (4.4), and minutes-per-game (31.6).  Doubters have become believers, and it has made the NCAA nervous that young players will read up on the Brandon Jennings Experiment, deciding to play overseas for a year, pocket that money, and then hopefully be a lottery pick in a future draft.  Not so fast..

While Brandon Jennings may have “cheated the system”, there are those that believe he will be a rare exception.  They look at someone like Jeremy Tyler, who has not yet tested his luck in the NBA or its draft, but has been struggling mightily overseas in Israel.  Tyler left the states a year younger than when Jennings left; he left before he completed his senior year of high school.  His coach in Haifa is not too fond of him thus far, calling him lazy, out of shape, naïve, and immature. I find it interesting that after only two games, Pete Thamel of the New York Times can already confidently say,

The Milwaukee Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings skipped college and had rocky moments while playing last season in Rome. But they were nothing compared with Tyler’s.

What does this tell us?  Not much, yet.  Tyler still has a lot of time to prove himself overseas.  And let us not forget how much criticism Jennings received before becoming a solid player in the NBA.  It seems like some of our memories are very short.  I think it is way too early to call Tyler a bust.  However, if Tyler is unable to thrive in Israel and does not pan out in the NBA, then perhaps Jennings will be looked at as a fluke success story, and Tyler’s story may dissuade others from following his path.

One thing that is certain is that there are a lot of important people paying particular attention to how Tyler fairs in the long run.  Those entities include advisors like Sonny Vaccaro, agencies like Wasserman Media Group, executives within the NCAA, David Stern, shoe companies, and many others.  Personally, I hope that Tyler wakes up and gets his mind right, because as an agent, I love having more options for potential clients.  If a future Jennings or Tyler came to me asking for guidance on what to do, I’d like to have confidence that playing overseas instead of NCAA basketball will not kill his future.

Jeremy Tyler Already Has His Doubters from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Last week, the single game penalty turned into a year-long ban.  The NCAA suspended Bryant for the rest of the 2009 season and any bowl game that OK State might play in.  Oklahoma State appealed the suspension, which seems rather harsh based on the situation (unless there are facts that have been withheld to the public).  We may find out the result of that appeal as early as tomorrow.

It sure seems as if OK State gets picked on a lot by the NCAA.  Remember Andy Oliver?  He played at the same institution before signing with a professional team in the 2009 draft.

The NCAA flexes its muscle again.  Are you impressed?  If Bryant would have solicited advice of an attorney, would the NCAA have pulled an Andy Oliver and tried to say that he was ineligible for that too?

Shouldn’t the NCAA be the advocate for its student-athletes above everything else?  I perceive the institution in a different light.  Its actions lead me to question its purpose at times.  With Brandon Jennings performing at a high level in the NBA (yes, it is a very small sample to look at) after saying no to college and playing a year overseas, shouldn’t the NCAA try to do more to show that it cares about its players.  Suspending them for a season without giving solid justification, makes me think that athletes will want to get in and out (or never in) of college as fast as possible.

Again, if the penalty is merely in response to Dez lying to NCAA officials, then I think it is excessive.  If there are facts unknown to me and the rest of the general public, then that is another story.  OK State was 4-0 without Bryant…until last weekend.  41-14.  Season over.  Reminiscent of last year’s College World Series.

NCAA Dez It Again from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

But what exactly is the proposal?  It is posted in its entirety at the link above, and titled, AMATEURISM AND ELIGIBILITY — INVOLVEMENT WITH PROFESSIONAL TEAMS — EXCEPTION — PRIOR TO INITIAL FULL-TIME COLLEGIATE ENROLLMENT — DELAYED ENROLLMENT — SEASONS OF COMPETITION.  If adopted, it would allow prospective student-athletes to play a professional sport overseas upon graduating high school, and still retain the opportunity to play that sport for an NCAA institution later in life.  The caveat is that the athlete cannot receive more than the allowable actual and necessary expenses under 12.02.4 (a).

Actual and necessary expenses include,

• Meals and lodging directly tied to competition or practice held in preparation for competition.
• Apparel, equipment and supplies.
• Coaching and instruction.
• Health/medical insurance.
• Transportation related to practice or competition.
• Medical treatment and physical therapy.
• Facility usage.
• Entry fees.
• Other reasonable expenses.

“Other reasonable expenses” seems quite broad, although things like out-of-season expenses (i.e. pre-training camp) are not considered actual & necessary expenses under this legislation.  And how would someone like Brandon Jennings justify that his on-the-books payment was an actual and necessary expense?  I doubt he could, and Jennings would not be the type of athlete able to become a student-athlete after playing a year overseas.

Definitely an interesting proposal.  I am very interested to see if any changes are made to it between now and its suggested adoption.

Become A Professional And Retain Student-Athlete Eligibility from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

First Round

1. Clippers - Blake Griffin PF/C – Agency: Excel Sports Management
2. Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C – Agency: BDA Sports
3. Thunder – James Harden SG – Agency: Landmark Sports Agency
4. Kings - Tyreke Evans PG/SG – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
5. Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio PG – Agency: BEST
6. Timberwolves - Jonny Flynn PG – Agency: CAA
7. Warriors - Stephen Curry PG/SG – Agency: Octagon
8. Knicks - Jordan Hill PF – Agency: BDA Sports
9. Raptors - Demar DeRozan SG/SF – Agency: Goodwin Sports Management
10. Bucks - Brandon Jennings PG – Agency: BDA Sports
11. Nets - Terrence Williams SG/SF – Agency: Goodwin Sports Management
12. Bobcats – Gerald Henderson SG – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
13. Pacers – Tyler Hansbrough PF – Agency: Excel Sports Management
14. Suns - Earl Clark SF/PF – Agency: BEST
15. Pistons - Austin Daye SF/PF – Agency: BDA Sports
16. Bulls - James Johnson SF/PF – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
17. 76ers - Jrue Holiday PG/SG – Agency: BEST
18. Timberwolves – Ty Lawson PG – Agency: Peake Management Group
19. Hawks - Jeff Teague PG/SG – Agency: BDA Sports
20. Jazz - Eric Maynor PG – Agency: ASM Sports
21. Hornets - Darren Collison PG – Agency: BDA Sports
22. Trailblazers – Victor Claver PF – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
23. Kings – Omri Casspi SF/PF – Agency: CAA
24. Mavericks – B.J. Mullens C – Agency: ASM Sports
25. Thunder – Rodrigue Beaubois PG – Agency: Comsport
26. Bulls – Taj Gibson PF – Agency: Priority Sports
27. Grizzlies – DeMarre Carroll SF/PF – Agency: Priority Sports
28. Timberwolves – Wayne Ellington SG – Agency: Wasserman Media Group
29. Knicks – Toney Douglas PG/SG – Agency: FAME
30. Cavaliers - Christian Eyenga SG/SF – Agency: ASM Sports

Notes:

• Leading up to the draft, I really liked that Goodwin Sports Management was doing to get its clients connected on social networks.  My man Nate Jones, a law student at UCLA, has been doing a great job helping out Aaron Goodwin and Co. on publicizing GSM client Twitter accounts and setting up Rookie Chronicles.
• BDA Sports seems to have dodged any potential negative recruiting ramifications from the company’s involvement with the O.J. Mayo scandal.  Three BDA clients were taken in the top ten picks of the draft.  Four BDA clients went in the top fifteen.  Six in the top twenty-one!  Where WMG made the headlines last year, BDA definitely took over the 2009 draft.
• Speaking of WMG, the company had three players taken in the top sixteen picks.  And BEST had three guys selected in the top seventeen picks.  WMG still dominated with five total draft picks in the first round.
• The first Israeli player drafted was taken by the Kings.  The fairly new GM of the Kings is a friend, Jason Levien.  I am happy for him because I think Omri Casspi was a steal at the slot picked, and Levien is supporting the Jews!
• One of my favorite players in the draft, Toney Douglas, was taken by a team who I think will really benefit from drafting him.  Knicks fans should be happy with that pick.

2009 NBA Draft: Breaking Down The First Round from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

When Gumbel asked Jennings whether he was glad he decided to play in Rome, Jennings answered, “Yes. No doubt. It’s the best decision I’ve made so far.”

That’s certainly a surprising statement, considering the fact that Jennings started out his Virtus Roma career after being kicked out of one of the team’s first practices and producing poor numbers early in the season.  He has now settled down a bit and found his position on the team, but many critics of Jennings still think that his decision to venture abroad has lowered his draft stock.

On the other side, others have praised Jennings for being a trendsetter and showing high school phenom athletes another way to make it professionally.  Those that know of Brandon’s close family connections know that his decision was not solely based on monetary incentives.  However these critics also recognize that Jennings has become a millionaire when some of his peers went to college and played for free.

I’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again. If the Brandon Jennings experiment turns out to be a success and even if it doesn’t, many other talented high schol players will now decide to follow in his shoes.

“It’s the Best Decision I’ve Made So Far” from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

In every generation, one athlete makes a bold move, laces up a new pair of shoes never seen before, and does something that turns the footwear industry on its head.  In 1936, Adi Dassler came to the Berlin Games with a suitcase of track spikes and persuaded Jesse Owens to give them a try.  When Owens won 4 gold medals, he was catapulted to superstar status along with the adidas shoes he was wearing.

32 years later, when Tommie Smith took the 200M gold in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, he stood on the podium with a clenched fist high above his head and a pair of Puma suede shoes at his feet.  Walt Frazier would also don Puma shoes that year, triggering a fan base a million strong to follow “Clyde’s” impeccable style.

On the heels of Michael Jordan, basketball-newcomer Nike soared past the competition in 1985 with the release of the Air Jordan line.  As we approach the silver anniversary of MJ’s grand entrance into the NBA, Nike still reigns supreme in the sporting goods industry.  History tells us that can change instantly when a star athlete bucks the norm to begin a different movement.  The next seismic shift in the shoe landscape could be on the horizon, or overseas to be more exact.

Brandon Jennings has been a trendsetter since he skipped out on college hoops to play professionally in Italy for his “purgatory year” between high school and the NBA.  On the business side of the game, Jennings signed a deal to be Under Armour’s first basketball endorser.  The Maryland-based company is betting millions that Jennings can be a catalyst for a new generation of shoes and are promoting Brandon with his very own website (wheninrome.underarmour.com) and the “Young Money” prototype kicks that have all the sneaker blogs buzzing.

The Under Armour of today parallels the pre-Jordan Nike in many ways.  Both built strong brands in other markets (Under Armour in performance apparel and football, Nike in running) before breaking into hoops.  To gain entry into the lucrative basketball shoe market, they signed young standout players on the cusp of entering the league.  Both Jordan and Jennings were innovators mentored by the sneaker guru himself, Sonny Vaccaro.  Will the similarities end there?  We won’t know for some time, but the battle over the feet of ballplayers and the thousand of kids that follow their steps is overdue for the next big shoe craze.  Maybe the next big shoe tagline will read, “Be Like Brandon.”

Book to Read:  Sneaker Wars by Barbara Smith (http://www.amazon.com/Sneaker-Wars-Brothers-Founded-Business/dp/0061246573)

Article to Read: The Last Don by Ric Bucher (http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol5no23vaccaro.html)

Under Armour, Brandon Jennings, and the Next Epic Shoe Deal from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

In a previous post, I described the predicament that Jennings was in.  Brandon Jennings was the first prep to pro basketball star from North America to play in Europe.  Because of low SAT scores and the coaching turmoil at Arizona, he decided to forgo playing college ball and headed to play professionally for Virtus Roma.

Jennings’ flashy play and high top hair cut attracted enough attention, but this unprecedented move to play in Italy for millions caused many to question Jennings.  Others thought he could be a trend setter for many future young players, who because of the NBA’s “one and done” college age restrictions, would rather make go overseas and make millions instead of playing one year of college ball.

Jennings signed with Roma for $1.65 million, but has a buyout clause in his contract that would allow him to leave after each season if he were to pursue his NBA dream.  Jennings has said multiple times that this the NBA is a definite for him.  He will likely leave Italy after this season and become an NBA lottery pick in 09′.  Many scouts and coaches have compared him to the Spanish star Ricky Rubio, who played in the same league. Comparisons to Europe’s best is great for Jennings, however players who have guarded both say that Jennings is even better than Rubio at 18.

Jennings and all his flash and hype came to Italy with high expectations.  He was soon humbled, where the real Brandon Jennings finally emerged.  His first week at practice in Italy, Jennings was kicked out of practice for “slacking” on his cuts during practice when going over the new plays.  Jennings was stunned and amazed.  He could act any way he wanted at practices in high school, but not in Europe.  After a conversation with Ray Allen, he quickly regained his composure and was able to step it up, giving himself and his teammates the confidence they needed in their million dollar point guard.

From that day forward, Jennings has continued to improve physically in the weight room and mentally with his decision making on and off the court.  And although he still spends a  lot of money of thousand dollar Gucci and Dolce backpacks and bags, he is learning the Italian culture and emerging as a potential NBA leader in the future.

Jennings’ personality really doesn’t match his flashy hair and upbeat style of play on the court.  He is a momma’s boy at heart and really only associates with his brother, mother and teammates in Italy.  It appears that Jennings is getting a real education overseas, and will surely be better off because of it.

Going overseas instead of attending college has its ups and downs, and although many others might not choose the route “Young Money” has taken, his voyage will certainly shed light unto the the rest of us.  We can see if and how many others follow in his shoes.

Visit Jennings blog, When In Rome to check out the latest updates on Brandon Jennings and how he is progressing in Italy.  His blog addresses the latest on-court issues, along with features such as his favorite music, movies, and the newst Under Armour gear.

When In Rome, Do As Brandon Jennings Does from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules