Muhammad Ali has signed a deal with Ice-Tek Watch Co., and former Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has agreed to endorse an Adidas line of retro clothing and shoes.
Both deals were negotiated by Harlan Werner, president of Los Angeles-based Sports Placement Service Inc., which specializes in representing sports legends after their athletic careers end. Werner wouldn’t reveal the value of either deal. Sports Placement Service also represents Jim Brown, John Riggins, Sandy Koufax and Joe Namath.
The Abdul-Jabbar line of shoes and clothing will be rolled out in February as part of Adidas’ Sport Heritage line, Werner said. “It was a very large deal, and the ultimate goal is [to] make his brand a worldwide recognizable brand.”
Ali agreed to allow New York-based Ice-Tek to create three levels of Ali-branded watches to be sold at $300, $1,200 and $50,000. Only 56 of the $50,000 watches will be produced — the same number of professional fights that Ali won.
Werner also recently renegotiated a seven-year extension to a deal that Ali had with video game maker EA Sports and is in talks with two companies about distributing a DVD of Ali’s three fights with Joe Frazier.
Werner, 36, formed his company in the mid-1980s after signing Koufax as his first client.
NFL AGENTS TO TESTIFY AT THOMAS TRIAL: NFL player agents Leigh Steinberg and Neil Cornrich are potential witnesses in a trial set to begin this week in Jackson County, Mo., involving the death of former All-Pro NFL linebacker Derrick Thomas.
Thomas’ mother, Edith Morgan, is suing General Motors Corp., alleging that Thomas died because the roof of the Chevrolet Suburban that Thomas was driving collapsed when the car crashed on an icy highway in January 2000. Thomas was paralyzed in the accident and died two weeks later in a hospital.
The lawsuit contends the Suburban’s roof was defective. The automaker denies that its vehicle was defective.
Steinberg, who was Thomas’ longtime agent, is testifying for Morgan about Thomas’ future earning capacity, both on the field and off, had he lived. Steinberg, who has refused payment for his testimony, has compared Thomas’ earning capacity to his client, all-time sack leader Bruce Smith, as well as to All-Pro Miami Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau.
Cornrich, who is testifying on behalf of General Motors, said in a deposition obtained by SportsBusiness Journal that Thomas, who was 33 when he died, could not have played as long as Smith, who retired at the end of last season at age 40. Cornrich also testified that Thomas should not be compared to Seau in earnings potential, although he did not say why.
Cornrich testified that Thomas, despite his nine Pro Bowl appearances, was “a rapidly descending player” and would likely have been out of the league in a year or two. Cornrich also testified that Thomas’ earnings capacity for endorsements may have decreased “if his personal issues became public,” but he did not elaborate on what he meant by that.
Cornrich testified that he was being paid $1,000 an hour by General Motors for his testimony.
Cornrich wouldn’t comment for this story.
ROSENHAUS SIGNS PLAYERS: NFL player agent Drew Rosenhaus signed Denver Broncos cornerback Lenny Walls, New York Jets wide receiver Jonathan Carter, Miami Dolphins wide
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receiver Kendall Newson and Miami’s fifth-round draft pick, linebacker Tony Bua.
SportsBusiness Journal previously reported that Sean Taylor, the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, who had fired Rosenhaus, was close to signing with Eugene Mato of Moorad Sports Management. But Taylor still had not signed with an agent as of last week.
Rosenhaus said he was still talking to Taylor.
“Since after he let us go, we have maintained a dialogue with him,” he said.
LMM, BARNES SIGN UDEZE: Ethan Lock of LMM Sports Management and attorney Thomas Barnes have signed Kenechi Udeze, the No. 20 NFL draft pick, for representation.
Udeze fired agents Jamal Tooson and Barnes after the draft. But he re-signed with Barnes, who is his brother, and will share representation duties with Lock.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
