March Madness may be just a few weeks away, but for the Purdue Boilermakers, the excitement may have ended February 24^th with the loss of Robbie Hummel.

While it’s a given that Purdue will be in the Tournament, the question is, how far will they go? The answer lies in a simple equation: Team – Hummel = not far. This season Hummel has averaged almost 16 points and 7 rebounds per game, leading the team in boards.

You can’t deny it; the guy was the ‘x-factor,’ an irreplaceable player, a dark knight in the fight for Tournament glory. Now it’s up to the rest of the team to prove that the dream is still alive. It’s definitely possible that the Boilermakers could face multiple hungry mid-majors as well as even a Big-12 or a Big East power, testing every newcomer attempting to fill the void left by Hummel.

If there is any comfort to the situation, Notre Dame is succeeding without their gunner, Luke Harangody, and in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers, who won four out of five without their star, Kobe Bryant, are solid heading into the playoffs.

However, the NCAA Tournament is much less forgiving. One loss and you’re out!

My reading of Matthew’s piece is at a very apropos time.  I just placed my first basketball client overseas, and earlier today, discussed a possible NCAA rule change that would allow high school graduates to play professionally overseas and retain their student-athlete eligibility.  I believe that the rule change would open the NBA up to even more competition against the international market; athletes will be more comfortable with traveling across the ocean to play in a foreign country if they have previous experience playing there before college.

Matthew’s premise is that basketball competition overseas is now credible, which serves as a big threat to the NBA under its current collective bargaining agreement (CBA).  The The Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB) and its exclusive Euroleague have been able to acquire strong talent from the United States in the past few years.  While the NBA does not allow any athletes under the age of 19 to play its game, FIBA (the entity in charge of creating rules and regulations in Europe), allows 18-year-olds to play in the ULEB.  FIBA does not regulate player contracts or salary caps, but teams may be bound by their country’s or European Union’s labor laws.  No salary cap means that players will be valued properly…remember rumors of Kobe Bryant considering going overseas…purely because the NBA’s salary cap restricts his ceiling.

Other benefits of playing overseas include the creativity that owners are able to use to secure players.  They often offer cars, residences, rent, and flights in their contracts.  Sometimes, players are even given the right to become partial owners of their team and can sell advertising space on their uniforms.  And then compare the Euro to the U.S. Dollar.

Meanwhile, the NBA implements a salary cap, allows owners the possibility to have restricted free agents, and tells 18-year-olds ready to play after high school, that they have to wait a year.

Epps says that a free agent transfer agreement with Euroleague is not plausible.  It would be challenged in U.S. and EU courts.  Instead, Commissioner Stern might want to consider expanding into Europe now, and create a few NBA teams across the Atlantic Ocean to compete in an NBA Europe.  I believe that an NBA Europe is an interesting idea, but it would have to be totally distinct from the NBA in the U.S.  Although there could be a “World Championship” between the winner of the NBA Finals and NBA Europe Finals.  That would make for some good T.V.

Another solution: Get rid of this one-and-done rule!

Contractual negotiations are not all about the final number published by columnists on Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.  In fact, athletes often sign with teams that do not make the largest offer.  For some players, though, an extra million means a lot and they will do whatever it takes to get that extra coin, even if it means leaving your hometown, even if it means leaving a team that could repeat as champions of the league.  But what if that team based in your hometown that has the impressive winning record is willing to pay the same amount of money as every other team?  Do you press your luck?  Do you insult the front office in the process?

Trevor Ariza is a great defender.  He showed his skill throughout the 2009 NBA Playoffs.  I can distinctly remember many pivotal steals that helped the Lakers bring a championship back to L.A.  Unfortunately for Ariza, he and his agent refused a deal in the offseason from the Lakers and Ariza is now stuck in Houston, receiving roughly the same amount he would have made in a new deal with Los Angeles.  On the flip side, Artest gets out of Houston, which has many problems to overcome.  Will Yao Ming ever play again?  When is the last time Tracy McGrady had an impact outside of cheering on the bench?  These are now concerns for Ariza and his agent, David Lee, who once felt he had the strong hand in negotiations with the Lakers.

Los Angeles is abuzz over Kobe + Artest.  Kobe has a buddy in Artest, who can give him more of a break on defense.  Additionally, Kobe no longer has to worry about Artest covering him with his smothering defense in any pivotal games.  Los Angeles may miss Ariza, but probably no where near the amount that Ariza will miss L.A.

Maybe Ariza will be happy in his new role with the Rockets.  He should receive more playing time and will be relied on much more than he was with the Lakers.  Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has a different take:

He’s a good player, but he’ll never be a star elsewhere. He’ll just be another player on another team.

Then again, players move around all the time in the NBA.  If Ariza is not happy in Houston in a year or two, I am sure we will hear trade rumors involving the Suns or Warriors (for some reason I feel as though I always hear those two teams come up in trade rumors).  Or he could drop his verbal commitment to the rockets and sign with the Cavaliers…at least Mo Williams thinks that is what Ariza once thought until he said this.

Bryant, who already has deals with Coca-Cola Co. and Nike Inc., is now teaming up with Madrid-born watch-maker Ivan Castro to sell a Kobe-inspired line of Swiss watches for Nubeo, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A limited number of watches in The Black Mamba series will be produced with a reference to Bryant’s nickname. The high-end time pieces will range from $21,000 to $285,000 across three different versions: standard, ultimate, and MVP. There will be 810 standard version watches released, 240 of the ultimate, and 24 MVP watches with the two higher models adorned with a varying amount of black sapphires. The 810 release number is a reference to the 81 points Bryant scored against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006 and the 240 and 24 release numbers both allude to Bryant’s jersey number.

The line will hit the U.S. market in the fall, which will also be Nubeo’s first American appearance, coming at a time when global luxury consumption continues to drop. The company, though, is planning a series of print and TV ads that will run around the release date. The partnership between Bryant and Nubeo will extend until 2010, with the option to continue beyond that year.

Bryant, a watch enthusiast himself, has taken an involved stance in influencing the watch’s design. He feels that there are similarities between the watch and Bryant’s on-court play, in that there are many unseen intricacies.

Whether the line will find success remains to be seen, but Bryant’s partnership with a luxury item, which generally remains reserved for tennis and golf stars, proves his worth as a marketable athlete. Bryant has made a huge comeback following the trial of his accused felony sexual assault charge which saw Kobe lose many of his endorsements.

Bryant continues to make his mark as a trendsetter. How an NBA player’s influence will affect a declining luxury market is something to watch for and could dictate future deals for the international superstar.

Sports Agents

• A male sports agent who finds himself turned into a woman? [Pilots: FOX Casts 'Eva Adams']

Basketball

• Kobe Bryant on a horse [Kobe Bryant: Ankle Insurance Salesman, Redeemed Figure.].
• With Kobe’s strong presence in China, this makes a lot of sense [Kobe Signs Deal With Chinese Web Site].

Performance Analysis

• Eat your vegetables and play your video games! [Playing Video Games Good For You?]

MMA

• The door is wide open…there is still a lot of money to be made [Companies Warm to Sponsoring Mixed Martial Arts].

Football

• Late round and undrafted players getting their shot in the NFL [Dolphins sign CFL Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Wake].

There are a variety of methods for athletes to gain a strong presence on the web.  They can definitely spruce up their Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking site pages.  The content should include nothing worse than PG-13 material.  If you have naked pictures or videos of you drinking with buddies, it probably should be kept on your external hard drive and off of the internet.  These sites do give athletes the ability to connect to fans, though.  Who doesn’t want to know what TO’s favorite movies and books are?  Additionally, athletes can start blogging directly to their fans.  Sites like Yardbarker and MLB.com have created platforms for athletes to do this in a community with others.  But many athletes have also created their own websites and individual blogs with much success.

Guys that others should be following are Curt Schilling, Kobe Bryant, and Gilbert Arenas.  Most likely, you have been to their web sites.  Why don’t Philip Rivers or Jake Peavy have sites?  They are truly missing out on a cheap venture that has the potential to create additional wealth that is not quantifiable.  This is not an area that you want to be stingy about.  As an agent, I always find it interesting when I have to justify our commission percentage to a potential client.  For the services that we provide, you think it would be a no-brainer.  At 3-5% (depending on the league), we are making pennies compared to the increase in salary that a player may generate based on our work.  It is the same with an athlete’s web presence.  While it may cost $20-30 thousand for an interactive site, you better believe that a higher profile athlete will end up making that back and more based on the increase of that player’s marketability.

Only eight out of thirty-two starting quarterbacks have a web site?  Give me a break.  As agents, we should be on our game.  Start embracing the web and Web 2.0 products, or fall back and let the young guns who understand the new game take your business.  I would not only be happy to represent those other twenty-four quarterbacks and have their web presence built properly, but I would even make the site if I have to (both this site and www.DynastyReps.com were created by me).

There are many hidden benefits of having a site as well.  You can make your sponsors proud by displaying them for all to see.  Your charitable foundation can also be a highlight of the page, encouraging others to get involved and donate towards your cause.  Overall, the potential risks involved in putting yourself “out there” are definitely outweighed by the potential benefits.  So agents, stop reading, pick up the phone, and order your client a web site if he/she does not have one.

When you think about royal families in the history of the NBA, several names might come to mind. How about Kobe Bryant and his father Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant? What about Jimmy Walker and son Jalen Rose? Then there’s Brent Barry and his father Rick Barry, who both won NBA Championships. These families all stick out, among others. It’s not hard to find great players from the same breed. As they say, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

It’s easy to think of a father-son combo, but what about the greatest pair of brothers in NBA history? I’m talking about Dominique and Gerald Wilkins. On one hand, Dominique Wilkins is considered one of the greatest dunkers and most prolific scorers of all time. On the other hand, Dominique’s younger brother Gerald was a defensive specialist and one of the more underrated players of his time. Throw in Gerald’s son Damien – who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder – and you’ve got the 2^nd generation of true “NBA Royalty.”

Let’s start with Dominique. His nickname speaks for itself. “The Human Highlight Film,” as he would come to be known, is the Atlanta Hawks all-time leading scorer. Dominique is a 9 time NBA All-Star and a 2 time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion. During his career he registered 26,668 points while grabbing 7,169 boards. His career points total ranks him ninth all-time. Dominique is one of just 14 players to total 25,000 points or more for a career. In addition, Dominique was the NBA Scoring Champion in 1986, averaging 30.3 points per game on the season. He gained his nickname “The Human Highlight Film” for his incredible athletic ability and high-flying dunks. He trademarked the windmill dunk, using it to capture Slam Dunk titles in 1985 and 1990. Dominique is remembered as an acrobatic scorer, a great finisher, and one of most creative dunkers in history. His #21 jersey was retired by the Hawks on January 13, 2001. He is one of four players to have had their jerseys retired by the Hawks. Put simply, Dominique Wilkins is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Gerald Wilkins, three years younger than brother Dominique, was a key player on the successful New York Knicks teams of the late 1980s. Gerald was a crafty guard known for his defensive skills, but he was also consistently the 2^nd leading scorer on those Knicks teams, behind none other than NBA legend Patrick Ewing. Following in his brother Dominique’s footsteps, Gerald participated in the 1986 and 1987 Slam Dunk Contests. After Gerald became a free agent in 1992, he was picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers signed Gerald as the final piece of the puzzle, hoping his notorious defense would help them beat Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Wilkins was even labeled as “the Jordan stopper.” After his stint with the Cavaliers ended in 1995, Gerald was continually hampered by injuries the rest of his career. Despite this, Gerald was considered a reliable sixth man for the remaining four years of his career with the Orlando Magic (1996-1999). In 1999, what turned out to be the final year of both Gerald’s and Dominique’s careers, the two brothers were finally united on the same team with the Orlando Magic.

If “NBA royalty” does exist, Damien Wilkins is the heir to the throne. And so the legacy begins. The son of a 14 year NBA mainstay and nephew of an NBA legend, Damien Wilkins comes from a noble line. After a quick and promising start to his NCAA career at North Carolina State, Damien entered the 2001 NBA Draft but decided to withdraw and transfer to Georgia. Damien had two solid seasons at Georgia but went undrafted in 2004. Damien took this personal. With a renewed diligence in the weight room, Wilkins put up strong numbers in the summer league and shined in the preseason with the Sonics. He made the team and the rest is history. Wilkins finally cracked the starting lineup midway through his rookie season. He came through in a big way, scoring a career-high 21 points, including the game-winning basket. Wilkins would start seven games throughout the remainder of the season. With the departure of Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen in 2007, Damien became a mainstay starter on the Sonics. On November 16, 2007 he scored a career high 41 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Damien now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Headlined by a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Dominique, the Wilkins family represents legitimate “NBA royalty.” Dominique was a high-flyer and Gerald could do it all. Now Damien represents the next prince in the Wilkins line of hardwood royalty.

Gerald Wilkins is a client of Dynasty Athlete Representation.

I just got back from Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend.  I witnessed LeBron James sitting down cracking jokes for about three hours, hanging out with some of his best friends in the NBA.  If he goes overseas to play in Moscow, who will he be kicking it with?  Can money really buy more happiness when you are already making more than $20 million per year?  Would it be worth moving far away from all of your friends and family.  I don’t think so, which is why I have yet to buy all of the reports that LeBron and Kobe are looking at overseas options.  As a caveat, I do believe that they are listening to what is being overseas in an effort to gain leverage when discussing new deals with their teams and American endorsers.  Why not stay in the U.S. and use potential offers overseas to make a little bit more dough in the process?

Kobe will opt out of his contract next year, but do not jump to the conclusion that he will be going abroad.  He will entertain overseas options, but do not rush to get your panties in a bunch.  Entertaining offers does not mean anything.  Sonny Vaccaro believes that Kobe may be a trailblazer and be the first superstar to leave the NBA for $50+ million elsewhere.  Maybe it happens, but if I were a betting man, I would put my money on him staying in the states.

Basketball

• Shawn Kemp sits down for a one-on-one interview.  Discusses everything from loving the feeling of slamming on opponents to dealing with drugs [Shawn Kemp: Confirms Rumors].
• CAA would make a cool $5 million per year if this ever happened [Source: LeBron would consider European offer of $50 million a year or more].
• And Rob Pelinka would make the same type of commission on this deal [NBA’s Worst Fears Realized: Kobe Would Leave to Play in Italy for $50 Million a Year].
• This should be a big signing if the 76ers are also able to lock up Andre Iguodala [76ers re-sign free agent guard Louis Williams].
• I find it interesting that Self’s base salary is only $229,900, but in actually, he should earn so much more [Kansas signs Self to new 10-year, $30 million contract].
• The Chinese continue to show love for Kobe Bryant [Best Selling NBA Jerseys In China].

Football

• An example of why an agent is so important in the negotiation process [Grant ends holdout, agrees to terms on 4-year deal with Pack].
• Former NFL player and future 1L law student, Courtney Van Buren, has a blog.  I suggest you check it out [Country As Cotton].

Baseball

• He is the only reason my fantasy team is not in dead last [D-Backs sign Haren through 2012].

Olympics

• Speedo should give Phelps $1 million just for shaving off the handlebars [It's All Speedo's Cash For Michael Phelps].

“Kobe tell me how my a** taste” Tell me how my a** taste? If I was Kobe I would be

Let’s take a poll, was Shaq drunk? High? Angry at not making the finals? Executing an excellent marketing strategy? Or just trying to revitalize his rap career? Please share your thoughts because this crap publicity stunt still does not make sense to me.

Below are some of the memorable lines from Shaq’s nightclub freestyle:

“I’m a horse. Kobe ratted me out that’s why I’m getting divorced.”

“He said Shaq gave a [woman] a mil. I don’t do that ’cause my name’s Shaquille.”

“I love ‘em, I don’t leave ‘em. I got a vasectomy, now I can’t breed ‘em.”