NBA and MLB agent ARN TELLEM is leaving Wasserman Media Group to become Vice Chair of Palace Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Pistons. Tellem will report to Pistons Owner TOM GORES and have broad responsibility for business strategy, public affairs, planning and development. Tellem will act as one of the Pistons Alternate Governors on the NBA BOG, but basketball operations will continue to be headed by coach STAN VAN GUNDY. Tellem leaves WMG after nine years and after he and WMG Founder, Chair & CEO CASEY WASSERMAN built it into one of the most dominant multi-sport athlete representation practices, representing more than 1,200 clients globally. “The decision to change careers was in one sense a difficult one, because I am leaving a terrific job with great clients and an outstanding leader in Casey Wasserman, who I believe runs the finest sports marketing and talent company in the business,” Tellem said. “But in another sense it was an easy decision, because I am joining another great organization with an outstanding leader in Tom Gores, who is committed to ensuring Palace Sports & Entertainment is a championship organization both on the court and in the community.” Wasserman said, “I love Arn personally. He’s been wonderful professionally for the last nine years. This is a transition for him in his life that’s appropriate and a transition for our business that our agents and our organization are ready for” (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer). In Detroit, Tony Paul reports Tellem will start with PS&E on Aug. 3, giving him time “to wrap up his commitments” with WMG. While Tellem has a “long list of prominent NBA players as clients ... he is not expected to be involved in any personnel moves with the Pistons” (DETROIT NEWS, 6/5). PS&E President & CEO DENNIS MANNION “will continue to see day-to-day operations of the organization” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/5).
A MICHIGAN MAN: YAHOO SPORTS’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports with Gores “spending most of his time running his Platinum Equity company, Tellem will largely become the Pistons’ ownership face in Michigan.” His “business savvy and stature within the NBA community is expected to be immensely impactful to the Pistons.” Sources said Tellem’s deal “could include an ownership stake” in the team (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/5). In Detroit, Vince Ellis reports Tellem will join PS&E “at a crucial juncture,” as the organization is “mulling many options for moving the business forward.” The Pistons’ current deal with FS Detroit is “one such area.” The team could “renew when the deal expires,” or it could partner with Olympia Entertainment, which owns the Red Wings and Tigers, “to form a regional sports network.” Tellem will be “tasked with pinpointing the best option and negotiating the best deal.” He also will “work to strengthen ties with other professional sports franchises in the market” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/5).
LOOKING TO MAKE A MOVE: Tellem’s interest to work for a sports franchise has been an open secret for years, as he was part of ownership group that tried to buy the Dodgers in ‘12. Wasserman said that since ‘12, the agency has been preparing for the eventuality that Tellem might leave to pursue his desire to be part of a sports franchise and that he wishes Tellem nothing but success. Tellem first joined WMG in '06 after he was CEO of the former SFX Sports Group. Wasserman said after the bid for the Dodgers -- he was part of a group led by billionaire STEVE COHEN -- both Tellem and WMG had been in a transition mode, where agents under him have been given more authority, WMG NBA player agents B.J. ARMSTRONG, THAD FOUCHER and DARREN MATSUBARA will lead the basketball group. MLB player agents JOEL WOLFE and ADAM KATZ will lead the baseball group. Those agents have increasingly been taking a leading role in basketball and baseball over the last few years. “Arn has taken a fairly deliberate step back,” Wasserman said. “So this, in our minds, has been happening for years without him having left. So this transition has been going on very orderly and for years.” Wasserman and Tellem are personal friends and Wasserman said he will miss him but has no hard feelings, whatsoever, about him leaving. He added that he is grateful to Tellem, who was a key part of building WMG into a global force in talent representation (Mullen).
