Bob Myers joined Wasserman Media Group in 2006 as a basketball agent for the company.  He is responsible for representing players like Brandon Roy, Tyreke Evans, Brook and Robin Lopez, Kendrick Perkins, DeAndre Jordan, and many others.  Myers has been known as Arn Tellem’s “right hand man,” which is quite a compliment when referring to one of the best agents in the industry.

Myers has been a sports agent for over twelve years.  Prior to Wasserman Media Group, he worked at SFX Sports, where he served in a Vice President position.  Recently, Myers was honored by SportsBusiness Journal in its annual “Forty Under 40″ list.  Even more recently, I had the honor of serving as Moderator of a Sports Law panel at Southwestern Law School, which included Myers, David Pump, Warren Zola, and Marc Isenberg.  Myers certainly kept the Golden State Warriors secret well hidden from all of us.

Throughout the symposium, one could easily ascertain that Myers had a lot of issues with the agent industry.  He seemed rather deflated from a lot of the hoopla involved in recruiting athletes.  I think his dissatisfaction with the industry really shined when Myers discussed his recruitment of Jimmer Fredette and all of the difficulties he encountered in that process.  But Myers loves the game of basketball and is certainly one of the better basketball minds in the business of sports.  I have no doubt that he will be successful in his new position with the Warriors, and I am thrilled that my friend Peter Guber will acquire one of the best in the biz.

Bob Myers To Become Golden State Warriors Assistant General Manager from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

C.J. Watson

Mike Higgins of The Higgins Group has had his work cut out for him between negotiating deals for Watson overseas, getting him looks by NBA teams, and finding him a home in the D-League before he was eventually called up to the Warriors.  However, Watson has decided that it is time for a change and has left Higgins for Jared Karnes of a3 (Allegiant Athletic Agency).  Watson joins a group of former University of Tennessee players represented by a3, including Chris Lofton, Wayne Chism, and Tyler Smith.

On To The Next One: C.J. Watson from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Tell to Win will officially be released for public consumption tomorrow, but I had the opportunity to review an advance copy and I am telling you right now – go buy it.  It is inexpensive and is worth every penny you will spend on it.  Truthfully, I did not realize just how important the art of storytelling was until I started turning the pages.  After reading it, I doubt I will be able to speak to a group of people, or even a single individual, without first thinking of the vital components of a powerful story and figuring out how I will tell it in the best manner possible.

I first caught wind of Tell to Win when I was asked to put together a contest to increase exposure for the book.  We ended up doing a Twitter contest where my followers could enter to win a free copy of Tell to Win by creating a Tweet that included my name and the author’s name.  The Tweet had to include a unique story…all in 140 characters or less.

Speaking of the author, Peter Guber is a very fascinating person.  In fact, Guber’s background may be the tie to sports that I was looking for at the start of this post.   He owns six minor league baseball franchises, owns and is a co-executive of the Golden State Warriors, and has earned approximately 200 Academy Awards during his tenure at the helm of companies such as Columbia, Sony Pictures, Casablanca and Mandalay Entertainment.  That kind of background adds quite a bit of credibility to the words written within his book.

The great thing about Tell to Win is that Guber does not just lay out the formula of how to tell a good story to get the results you are looking for.  Instead, he explains the process through a plethora of stories he has either told or heard from very impressive individuals.  It makes reading the book enjoyable and easy to comprehend.  He sort of proves his point that the art of good storytelling is the best way to make others understand what you are trying to convey.

This is not a quick read.  Take your time to read it slow, fully grasp the important concepts, and attempt to use them to your advantage in your lives.  I used to be guilty of focusing too much on statistics and not enough on the emotion attached to stories.  While stats will continue to encompass a major part of my diatribes, I will certainly incorporate stories effectively, and have already seen positive results from the limited number of times that I have applied Guber’s teachings.  I am very impressed by Tell to Win and I believe that you will be inspired by it too.

Book Review: Tell To Win from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Amidst all the news about Lebron’s “decision” and the dream-team being created in Miami, another organization 2,500 miles away is attempting to finally breathe life into their club that once, long ago, had 6 playoff appearances and 1 championship in 7 years – the Golden State Warriors.

At the forefront of this impetus is current Boston Celtics part owner and partner at the private equity fund KPCB, Joseph Lacob.  Lacob, now the primary owner of the Golden State W’s, shelled out a record-breaking $450 million to purchase the team on July 15.  He must have been in a Golden State of mind with concurring pockets.  Lacob’s partner in crime (if you liken spending that much money on the team that holds the NBA’s second worst record for the past 15 years to a felony) will be Mandalay Entertainment’s Chairman and CEO, Peter Guber.  Guber has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, producing films such as Batman, The Color Purple, and Rain Man.  Hopefully, the new owners of the Bay Area’s finest can stop the horror flick that fans have had to watch for the past few decades at Oracle Arena.

Previous owner, Christopher J. Cohan, compiled a whopping 2 winning seasons and 1 trip to the playoffs since he assumed ownership in 1995.  Seems like not such a tough act to follow.  But with the Raiders’ horrendous performances and the A’s lack of a World Series appearance in 20 years, the pressure is mounting for somebody, anybody, to be the savior of Oakland sports.  Perhaps it could be the Warriors.  The W’s need some W’s.

The new ownership of the Warriors is a giant step in the right direction for the organization as a whole.  Although Lacob was only part-owner of the Celtics, and it is not clear exactly how much he influenced the team’s operations, Boston is a club that has given a lot of control to their head coach, Doc Rivers.  Golden State’s Don Nelson, the second winningest coach in NBA history, seems to have been denied such privileges during his tenure at Golden State.  Just before the sale of the team, there was a deal on the table to send Monta Ellis to Memphis for O.J. Mayo and Hasheem Thabeet.  Apparently, Nelson wasn’t even consulted, and the trade did not happen, even though a source claims the head coach would have urged for that deal “in a heartbeat.”  Perhaps if he stays, Nelson can regain more control over the roster and improve his 103-143 record from his past 3 seasons with the team.

Additionally, Peter Guber could immensely aid the marketing and recognition of the team with his creativity and business acumen.  If anything, the flashy big-screen introductions and light shows courtesy of Mandalay will actually give fans a reason to show up to the games (which now have reduced ticket prices for the upcoming 2010-2011 season).

It also seems to be a good sign that new majority owner Lacob has received a lot from the State of California, earning his bachelors degree at U of Cal at Irvine, his Masters degree at UCLA, and his M.B.A. at Stanford.  Perhaps he will give back and invest a little more into a community that he has grown up in and seen struggle athletically in the past.

With a sharp shooting guard in Stephan Curry and newly acquired threats Dorell Wright and David Lee (who was one of only three players to average 20 points and 10 boards a game last year), the Warriors seem to be moving a direction opposite from which they came – up.  Dare to dream Oakland natives, that the Larry O’Brien trophy will reside once again next year in the great state of California, but not in Los Angeles.

A Bright Moment For The Golden State from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

However, before LeBron can start really looking for a mansion on South Beach (yeah I said it), the NBA draft is coming. Remember all of these guys were a part of the draft once, so you have to pay some attention to which players your team can select, and  who may possibly be a contributor on the way to an NBA championship.

Lottery Draft order projected statistically.

1. New Jersey Nets: John Wall/Kentucky – After being arguably the best in college basketball for an entire season, he will rightfully go first overall.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Evan Turner/Ohio St. – The most NBA ready player in draft, could be the best out of the draft if health allows him to be.
3. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins/Kentucky – Cousins is not the usual fit for the Kings and its owners (the Maloof brothers), but he is the only real post threat in the draft. Add him to a nucleus of Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson and you have the first team in Sacramento to sniff the playoffs since Vlade Divac was flopping in the purple and black.
4. Golden State Warriors: Derrick Favors/Georgia Tech – Had Favors put up the numbers that were anticipated when he arrived at GT, the Nets would be selecting him first overall. Although Golden State will be a good fit, Favors will be able to run the high paced offense the Nelly loves to utilize.
5. Washington Wizards: Wesley Johnson/Syracuse – A freak athlete who can score. The Wizards cannot afford to let a talent like Johnson slip past them.
6. Philadelphia 76ers: Ed Davis/North Carolina – Davis seems to be one of the players who left early to keep from suffering completely if the NBA bargaining agreement keeps the 2011-2012 season on ice. Davis is going to be Samuel Dalembert’s replacement after his contract expires. Additionally, look for the 76ers to try and unload Elton Brand on draft day for either money, another first round pick, or a sign and trade.
7. Detroit Pistons: Cole Aldrich/Kansas – Aldrich is a spitting image of Paul Davis, the former Michigan State center who was a sound, tough rebounding big in college, but that’s pretty much where the story ended. Aldrich lacks the footwork of other big men in the draft and is going to struggle when he can’t go over the top of defenders.
8. Los Angeles Clippers: Al-Farouq Aminu/Wake Forest – An athlete who can and hopefully will develop a perimeter game to play alongside Blake Griffin. Aminu is going to be a tougher version of Al Thornton, who never turned out the way the Clippers expected before they sent him packing.
9. Utah Jazz: Greg Monroe/Georgetown – Georgetown being upset in the first game of the big dance did not help Monroe’s stock, but the Jazz will lose Boozer and will realize that Mehmet Okur is not a center. Monroe possesses phenomenal footwork and can stretch the floor, and if big men could ever win the rookie of the year award, he would be the leading candidate.
10. Indiana Pacers: Ekpe Udoh/Baylor – A fantastic shot blocker, he will play alongside an emerging Roy Hibbert, and with the NBA’s stars relocating, the Pacers could be in playoff contention come April.
11. New Orleans Hornets: Daniel Orton/Kentucky – Orton has the least playing experience of all prospects in the entire draft. He has NBA size, but with unproven skill. He will become the mid-season bandage when Okafor goes down with an injury, again. Orton will benefit playing with CP3, and scouts believe he has the talent to be the best big man out of Kentucky, eventually.
12. Memphis Grizzlies: Patrick Patterson/Kentucky: A physical specimen coming out of college, he is sound fundamentally and can contribute at the power forward position right away.
13. Toronto Raptors: Hassan Whiteside/Marshall – Whiteside will be drafted just in time to go to Bosh’s  Bon Voyage party, maybe as Turkoglu’s plus one? Whiteside can block shots, score around the basket, and rebound. Look for Dwight Howard comparisons throughout his entire career.
14. Houston Rockets: Donatas Motiejunas/Lithuania – This guy gets the label of highest bust probability. He is another thin seven footer who will refuse to rebound and put up 5 too many threes a game.
15. Milwaukee Bucks: James Anderson/Oklahoma St. – Attacks the basket really well, put up a lot of points in college, and could complement Jennings really well. NBA fans will continue to Fear The Deer!
16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Gordon Hayward/Butler – The last chance of having the next “Great White Hope”. Hayward can shoot the ball from almost anywhere on the court – lucky for Duke.
17. Chicago Bulls: Xavier Henry/Kansas – Regardless of what moves are made in the off-season, Chicago is going to take the best talent available and someone who can run with Rose. Henry couldn’t be a better fit.
18. Miami Heat: Eric Bledsoe/Kentucky – Playing in John Wall’s shadow at Kentucky, Bledsoe did not receive the publicity he deserved. He is an NBA ready point guard who will fill the Heat’s need of a ball handler and distributor.
19. Boston Celtics: Damion James/Texas – Doc Rivers is going to steal James from the Spurs, who pick right behind them. A hard nosed defender who can make stops and be a spark off the bench. He’s the pick because of the possibility the Celtics could lose Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Tony Allen.
20. San Antonio Spurs: Larry Sanders/VCU – Sanders can block shots and has the frame to become a dominating post presence. Let the mastermind better known as Mr. Popovich get his hands on him and you have the frontcourt of the future with Sanders and Blair down low.
21. Oklahoma City: Solomon Alabi/Florida St. – The Thunder learned their lesson the hard way when a team lacks decent big men. Unfortunately, they are not getting that in Alabi, who comes with the buyer beware warning due to his raw talent and what looked like genuine clumsiness around the basket in college.
22. Portland Trailblazers: Kevin Seraphin/France – With Nicolas Batum becoming a larger role in the Blazers rotation, Portland will take the chance on Seraphin. The Blazers will likely allow him to play one more year overseas and then use him as a post defender, praying he won’t collapse like every other big in Portland.
23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Luke Babbitt/Nevada – This being the T’wolves third pick in the first round, this is potential trade bait to a team like Memphis who covets Babbitt’s scoring and rebounding ability.
24. Atlanta Hawks: Quincy Pondexter/Washington – This is a steal for Atlanta. Pondexter could either replace a possible departing Joe Johnson or give Marvin Williams his pink slip, and either way, Pondexter will have a bright future in the NBA.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Avery Bradley/Texas – This is probably the biggest slide of the first round, due to Bradley’s lack of scoring ability right now. If he finds a way to score, then the Grizzlies will have made off like bandits with a guy who could easily be a lottery pick.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Paul George/Fresno State – Another great athlete who can score, giving the Thunder a fourth or fifth scoring option.
27. New Jersey Nets: Devin Ebanks/West Virginia- A perimeter defender with the height of a big man. His jump shot is less than questionable, which is why he is still available this late.
28. Memphis Grizzlies: Terrico White/Mississippi – The possibility that Rudy Gay may be leaving forces the Grizzlies to take someone who can put up points. White can do just that.
29. Orlando Magic: Willie Warren/Oklahoma – The second coming of Courtney Lee to the Magic. Warren’s questionable attitude at Oklahoma is the reason for such a fall, but the Magic are the big winners after such a painful loss in the Finals.
30. Washington Wizards: Darington Hobson/New Mexico – Will be looked at as a reach, but his ability to lead the Lobos to such a great season gives him a great upside with good scoring ability.

After the glory of the first round has gone, there are a few real players that could make a difference when drafted. The second round sleepers are: Dominique Jones/USF, Jordan Crawford/Xavier, Stanley Robinson/UConn, and Lance Stephenson/Cincinnati.

2010 NBA Mock Draft from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

With the NBA playoffs starting to finally matter, the fourteen teams that were not invited to the party have been playing the “Whom do we select if we don’t get the number one or two pick?” game. With what appears to be a John Wall/Evan Turner one-two picks this year, there are actually other players being drafted that will make a difference.

Statistically the top 5 should be/and should draft:

1. New Jersey Nets: (Soon to be Jay-Z’s Brooklyn Ballers): John Wall/Kentucky- it’s the obvious choice
2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Evan Turner/Ohio St.- The NCAA player of the year has the most upside in the entire draft. His numbers and play resemble Caron Butler, but Turner is a lot faster and a much better ball handler.
3. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins/Kentucky- After playing the role of schoolyard bully for one year, Cousins enters as the only legitimate low post presence in the draft. Alongside Tyreke Evans, look for Cousins to have a big impact his rookie season.
4. Golden State Warriors: Derrick Favors/Georgia Tech- Long, athletic, and skilled. What more do you need out of a big guy? He could be Chris Bosh, but he has more size. Start salivating, Don Nelson.
5. Washington Wizards: Wesley Johnson/Syracuse: A great talent, but must put weight on to be effective. Has a chance of making a difference for a Wizards team whose starters would be questionable backups for playoff teams.

Unfortunately, the NBA draft stock does not extend as deep as other leagues like the NFL or MLB, but there are still players that will be drafted in the late first round and second round that could have great NBA careers.

Picks that make sense:

18^{th -} Miami Heat: Xavier Henry/ Kansas: The outstanding one year wonder 6’6’’ guard could be a terrific addition to a rebuilding Heat team, if he falls past Chicago. Henry has the potential to be what Q-rich was supposed to be this past season – a contributor.

*If Henry is indeed taken by Chicago or earlier……Heat should select Patrick Patterson/Kentucky: Anyone who has watched Patterson play knows he has an NBA ready body, and the drafting of him by the Heat gives them the option to let go Udonis Haslem or Dorrell Wright to have a little more spending money.

20^{th -} San Antonio Spurs: Larry Sanders/ VCU: A shot blocker and post presence, who under Greg Popovich will become the future of the Spurs with an emerging DeJuan Blair. See if anyone outrebounds them ever, again.

Sleepers and Busts of the 2010 Draft:

Sleepers:

• Dominique Jones/ South Florida: A 6’4’’ guard who can put up points like a top five pick.
• Quincy Pondexter/ Washington: The Senior small forward has all the tools to make a good NBA player; tough defense and scoring mentality will make him a great contributor immediately.

Busts:

• Donatas Motiejunas/Lithuania: Other than being ANOTHER European Seven Footer who lacks a post game, he’s just not good. No matter which way you shape it, he is going to cost some poor GM his job. Bottom line, if the sportscaster has to pause to pronounce it, he won’t make it. (Ex. Dalibor Bagaric Benston Zagreb/ Bulls 24^th overall pick 2000).
• Solomon Alabi/ Florida State: A big, athletic big man who will most likely be drafted top 20. He is raw, lacks sufficient post game, and will probably be forced into a significant role before he is ready.

As the draft closes in and the final names are listed, we will continue to cover all aspects, such as contracts, salaries, and draft board moves.

NBA Early Entry Deadline from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Agent Mark Stevens is in the news again. Back in 2006 he was compared to Drew Rosenhaus when he and another high profile client, Ron Artest, were in a strikingly similar situation. Well he seems to be attempting to follow the same playbook in his most recent attempt to get Stephen Jackson traded out of Golden State.

After publicly stating a desire to be traded back in August and some initial backlash with coach Don Nelson resulting in Jackson being absolved of his duties as captain, things have seemed to quiet down in Golden State. Jackson has been playing without incident and has put up numbers in line with his career averages. Jackson even had a 15 assist night just a few days ago. Golden State is said to have been in talks with up to 10 teams with interest in Jackson and has been attempting to weigh offers and find a reasonable trade. It seemed as if an amiable end is possible after this falling out.

Then Jackson’s agent, Mark Stevens, decided to publicly insult Coach Don Nelson in an obvious effort to speed up the process of getting his client traded. Whether or not Stephen Jackson had known Stevens was going to publicly insult his coach, we will never know, but this seems all too familiar territory for Stevens and seems to be a well thought out plan (or not so well thought out depending on your point of view). Could this be Stevens’ way of speeding up the trade process, while attempting to deflect some of the blame from Jackson, who already has character issues and a bit of a troubled history in the league?

Where I take issue with the strategy is that now GMs are not only concerned with dealing for a player who is going to publicly bad mouth them or the team, they are going to be dealing for a player whose agent will publicly bad mouth the organization. That is certainly not the type of thing an agent would like to develop a reputation for. Maintaining a positive dialogue with the organization would certainly increase the odds of a mutually beneficial resolution. Stevens’ strategy may result in Golden State choosing to eliminate the headache and the contract by trading Jackson for little in return, which could result in Jackson ending up with another non-contender…which is why he originally wanted out of GS.

It remains to be seen how the whole situation will play out; however, the bigger question is when, if ever, as an agent, is it beneficial to make inflammatory comments about a client’s coach, team or management? While this may be the strategy that some choose to use, in the long run respectable, private negotiations seem to be the best avenue for accomplishing the goals of all parties involved. We have seen many a case in which an unhappy player and agent try to force their way out of a situation, but they very seldom work out positively for all sides.

*Note: Ron Artest is no longer represented by Mark Stevens and Stevens does not have any other NBA clients.

Trouble In Golden State from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules