When the NBA implemented the age-limit rule in 2005, barring high school seniors from entering the Draft, the stated purpose was that these young men should spend at least one year in college before entering the professional ranks. They would be able to get an education and learn valuable life lessons that would be lost if they made the jump directly to the pros.
But any informed fan knows that this has not been the case. The requirement of players to play at least one year of college ball has simply opened the door to the increased influence of power brokers in the game. These individuals operate behind the scenes; yet have a significant influence upon both the college and professional games. The likes of Sonny Vacarro and “Worldwide” Wes have been around the game for years, but with the players being forced to attend college, their influence has become as evident as ever.
Each major university has a contract with an apparel manufacturer to supply their varsity teams with attire. Nike has a stranglehold on the major Division 1 teams, but adidas, Reebok and Under Armor still compete to supply the rest of the NCAA. So when a player commits to a college for his minimum year tour of duty, they are not only committing to the school, but to the brand that the school is sponsored by as well. With each of these major brands understandably desiring that the highest profile athletes bear their logo, the role of the backroom power politics becomes increasingly evident.
Take the case of Josh Selby for example. The number one ranked player in the high school class of 2010, Selby was originally committed to the University of Tennessee, an Adidas school. But while making his stop at the LeBron James Camp during his tour of elite camps last summer, a crazy thing happened. “Worldwide” Wes, who just so happened to be in attendance, took Selby aside for a little chat. So after the camp wrapped up, Selby announced that he would be reopening his recruitment, with Nike schools Kansas and Kentucky at the top of his list. Funny how these things happen. It is widely known that Wes is an unofficial broker for Nike, and has enormous clout in the basketball world.
The influence of power politics on the game of basketball goes yet deeper than that though. The relationship between University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari, Worldwide Wes and LeBron’s right hand man Maverick Carter is well documented. This resulted in the “hiring” of Brandon Weems, another former high school teammate of LeBron, as a graduate assistant at the University of Kentucky for Calipari and the Wildcats. The exact job description of Weems is understandably unclear, but what is known is that be befriended all-world freshmen John Wall, and was regularly seen alongside the likely first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. They even managed to make their way to Millionaires Row at the Kentucky Derby. I am sure that they paid full price for their tickets though.
The Wes-Calipari-Maverick relationship includes one other major player; Creative Arts Agency, or CAA, one of the largest agencies in the country. They represent a litany of pro athletes in all major sports, and thanks to the guidance of Wes and company, continue to represent high-end college basketball players once they decide to turn pro. So it was widely assumed that Wall would make his way to CAA, and likely sign on with LeBron’s fledging marketing company, LRMR. But then something happened. He didn’t. Instead, just this past week, Wall signed with Dan Fegan of the powerful, yet not dominant, BEST Agency. While this took many industry experts by surprise, it does not necessarily show that Fegan completed as much of a coup as some will have you believe. It could simply be the first sign of shift in the balance of power of these organizations that run the sport indirectly.
So when Mr. Stern and his associates decided that they had the best interests of these teenage men in mind when they implemented the new age restriction, it is indeed possible, and rather likely, that they had some of these powerful brokers in their ear encouraging them to implement such a rule, and indirectly help universities and shoe companies reap the massive rewards. These kids were supposed to get an education during their time in their respective post secondary institutions, but the Kentucky Wildcats cumulative 2010 GPA of 2.025 clearly shows that this is not the case.
These power brokers will continue to steer players towards schools, shoe companies and agencies that they indirectly represent, and the way that the system is currently set up has created an enormous opportunity for exploitation of these young athletes. But after all, it’s just a game.
Editor’s Note: Lawrence Dushenski is a Toronto Raptors fan. You can follow him on twitter @LD10. Also read his article on the connections between hip-hop star Drake and the University of Kentucky’s recruiting department.
