ALEX J. BERLINER/ABIMAGES
Basketball player agent Arn Tellem got a call about 16 years ago from then-UCLA basketball coach Jim Harrick. “He said he was going to give me the best recommendation of my life,” Tellem recalled. “I thought, what player could that be?”
The player was Bob Myers, a forward for the Bruins. But Harrick wasn’t suggesting that Tellem represent him. He was suggesting that Tellem hire him as an intern and teach him the business of representing athletes. Tellem did.
“I met Bob and I gave him a chance, and 15 or 16 years later he is like my little brother,” Tellem said.
Myers worked for Tellem at the same time he went to law school. He has had several promotions over the years and now serves as managing executive of Wasserman Media Group’s basketball division, one of the largest representation practices of hoops talent in the world.
Myers is a soft-spoken, pleasant man, who quietly has negotiated free agent contracts that have paid his clients more than $575 million during the past 10 years, including the $85 million, maximum contract extension for Brandon Roy last year. He has represented or co-represented 16 first-round NBA draft picks, including 2010 Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans.
“I don’t want to diminish him, but he has been like my right hand,” Tellem said. “He is very bright. He has great judgment. He has been able to build great relationships with NBA executives. He has their respect.”
Myers is able to navigate all areas of the agent business, from recruiting players to negotiating contracts to maintaining strong relationships with clients, Tellem said. Because he was a player, he understands what players need and want, Tellem added.
Myers said he and Tellem have different styles that work well together in representing their clients.
“I am more golden retriever and he is more pit bull,” Myers said.
“Once that clicked with me, I started to get enthused to be a part of it.”
Age: 35
Title: Managing executive, basketball management
COMPANY: Wasserman Media Group
Education: B.A., business and economics, UCLA; J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Family: Wife, Kristen; daughter, Kayla (11 months)
Career: 13 years in sports representation of professional basketball players
Last vacation: Santa Barbara
What's on your iPod: Mix of genres in music, across the board
|
|
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate chip cookies. Huge addict.
Best stress release: Exercise and yoga
Pet peeve: Tardiness
Greatest achievement: Graduating night law school while working full time
Greatest disappointment: Not playing basketball in Europe after college
Fantasy job: UCLA head basketball coach
Business advice: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” And, “Character is what you really are; reputation is merely what you are perceived to be.” |
