United Talent Agency has signed Turner Sports analyst and former NBA player
Chris Webber for representation in all areas, including broadcasting, marketing, licensing and entertainment work.
UTA will also represent Webber Productions, a production company that Webber founded with Peter Gilbert, a co-producer of the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Hoop Dreams.”
UTA agent Ryan Hayden will lead a team representing Webber, who was formerly represented by The Legacy Agency. It was not clear as to why Webber switched representation.
A number of former athletes have launched second careers in the entertainment business by launching record, film or television production companies in recent years — and Webber has gone as far as to partner with Gilbert, who has already achieved success in the documentary arena. Webber told Sports Illustrated last year that he is working on a documentary about his life.
Hayden would not comment on what entertainment projects Webber was working on, but said UTA agents would work with Webber Productions on developing both scripted and non-scripted projects and bringing them to market.
> DEAL SHOPPING FOR PUIG: Alex Radetsky, the new marketing agent for Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, wants to capitalize on the rookie’s meteoric success, but he isn’t looking at the short term. His focus is on long-term deals, nationally and locally.
Although Radetsky wants to strike while the iron’s hot, he noted, “You won’t see Yasiel in a local car [dealership] deal. It has to be the right brand.”
Radetsky, president of Radegen Sports Management, said he was besieged with congratulatory and sponsorship inquiry calls last week after it was announced that he had signed Puig for marketing work. Puig has been the surprise story of Major League Baseball this season, and Radetsky signed an exclusive, multiyear deal to represent him for off-the-field work.
Prior to Radegen Sports signing Puig, some media outlets had reported that Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports was trying to land Puig as a client. Those reports surfaced after the Cuba native outfielder attended the 10th anniversary of Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in New York in June.
As of last week, Puig had one endorsement deal, with Nike, which was negotiated by Jaime Torres, Puig’s contract agent. Torres said that he spoke with Radetsky before Puig signed with him for marketing. Torres also checked out Radetsky’s company with his contacts in baseball. “I told Yasiel he would do a good job with him,” said Torres, an attorney, who has represented a number of Cuban MLB players.
Torres acknowledged that Puig told him people from Roc Nation Sports had contacted him about representing him.
A Roc Nation Sports spokesman did not return an inquiry for comment.
> BROADCAST NEWS: IF Management has signed a number of current and former players for broadcast work, including NBA free agent Jerry Stackhouse and NFL free agent Eric Winston, who are both player union leaders.
Winston is a player representative at the NFL Players Association and Stackhouse is a member of the National Basketball Players Association’s executive committee.
IF Management also signed former NBA player and Big Ten Network analyst Jim Jackson and former MLB player and current MLB Network analyst Cliff Floyd.
IF Management President Steve Herz, Senior Director of Broadcasting Josh Santry and Gideon Cohen, vice president, broadcasting, will represent each of them.
IF Management will co-represent Stackhouse with his on- and off-the-court agency, Excel Sports Management.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
