By Jada F. Smith
While the ball exchanges hands between quarterbacks and point guards on the field and the court, their money is being exchanged from franchises to sports agents in the corporate sky boxes above. Black sports agents are few in number, but rich in clientele – many of them owning their own agencies and representing top athletic talent both in the States and abroad. Armed with advanced degrees in law or business, these agents are handling everything from contract negotiations to endorsement deals to advertising campaigns; these behind-the-scenes dynamos are quietly propelling today’s sports stars into future sports legends.
Bill Strickland
Allan Houston and Bill Strickland, Right
Career Overview: One of the most revered names in sports management, Strickland is the founder and CEO of Blackwave Media Group, a multi-portfolio management company in entertainment, sports, marketing and online media. He was the first black agent to be listed as one of the “100 Most Powerful People in Sports” by The Sporting News, and he has been noted by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “50 Most Powerful African-Americans in Sports.” He ran Strickland Management for more than seven years and served as president of the Basketball Division of IMG – the world’s largest sports Management Company – for five. Strickland is also a sports and entertainment lawyer, specializing in negotiation/dispute resolution.
Clients Represented: Strickland has represented a plethora of clients throughout his career, including Rasheed Wallace of the Boston Celtics and Dante Culpepper, formerly of the Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.
C. Lamont Smith
Career Overview: The double HBCU graduate (B.A. from Clark College, J.D. from Howard University), is a veteran sports agent and president/founder of All Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc. His 20 year career as a lawyer and sports agent has landed him between the pages of The New York Times and Sports Illustrated Magazine, as well as the highly coveted cover of Black Enterprise.
Clients Represented: His company, All Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc., represents Aaron Smith of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Andrew Quarless of the Green Bay Packers, Barry Sanders formerly of the Detroit Lions and PGA golfer Jonathan Kaye, just to name a few.
Kimberly Holland
Career Overview: The Atlanta native may as well be from ancient Greece, the way her roster resembles an Olympic village. She transitioned from attorney to sports agent and now represents an impressive array of clients – many of whom have competed and brought home medals for Team USA in multiple Summer Olympic Games.
Clients Represented: Angelo Taylor, who won two gold medals for track in the 2000 games; Terrence Trammell, who won the silver medal in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics; and Silver medalist Shawn Crawford, amongst others.
Bill Duffy
Career Overview: Duffy has been in the sports management business since 1984, after a two-year playing career with the Denver Nuggets. His first prominent client was Webster Slaughter who was selected in the second round of the NFL draft. He eventually began to focus on the international sports market, leading him to create BDA International, which now has offices in six countries outside of the United States.
Clients Represented: Duffy has guided the careers of Yao Ming from the Houston Rockets, Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics, Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks and Greg Oden of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Aaron Goodwin
Career Overview: The CEO of Goodwin Sports Management (GSM), Goodwin sits on the advisory board for the National Basketball Players Association and is at the top of the sports management game. With expertise in contract negotiation, he is highly sought after to speak about athletic representation at sports management seminars across the country. He is perhaps most well known for representing Lebron James at the beginning of the young phenom’s career.
Clients Currently Represented: GSM represents Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Tina Thompson of the Los Angeles Sparks among others.
Eric Goodwin
Career Overview: Along with his twin brother Aaron, Eric Goodwin runs Goodwin Sports Management as the company’s President and resident marketing and corporate relations guru. He heads up the company’s efforts to generate new business and endorsement opportunities for GSM clients, overseeing their existing partnerships with Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonald’s, Sony, Microsoft and the NBA.
Clients Represented: GSM’s clients include Delonte West of the Boston Celtics, Gary Payton and Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fletcher Smith
Career Overview: As the founder and owner of Blueprint Management Group, LLC, Smith has dedicated his career to guiding his superstar clients. From conducting contract negotiations to securing endorsement deals, Smith has an impressive history in sports management and entertainment law. He is known around the sports world largely for negotiating Donovan McNabb’s first contract – the one that made him the highest paid player in Philadelphia Eagles history and eventually negotiated the largest contract in NFL history for McNabb.
Henry Thomas
Career Overview: Thomas joined CAA sports in 2009, with more than 20 years experience in sports management and representation. Formerly the president of the sports management and marketing firm, CSMG, Inc., he headed up the company’s professional basketball division, with a history that includes securing $100 million contracts and eight-figure shoe deals.
Clients Represented: High profile clients include Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat.
Sharon Creer
Career Overview: One of the very few black female sports agents, Creer manages athletic careers from Houston to Slovakia. Known around the industry for securing airtight contracts and solid marketing strategies for her clients, her specialty is placing athletes in professional basketball teams in the States and overseas. She launched SCA Sports Management in 1998 and sits on the board of directors for the Black Sports Agents Association.
Clients Represented: Tiffani Johnson, formerly of the Houston Comets, Toccara Williams of the San Antonio Stars and other professional athletes overseas.
Todd Ramasar
Career Overview: Ramasar works in athlete recruiting and contracts for BDA Sports Management, following years of talent acquisition, basketball operations, contract negotiations, pre-draft training, skill development and endorsements for Life Sports Management. Ramasar has secured deals for his clients with Reebok, Vitamin Water, Jenny Craig and EA Sports.
Clients Represented: BDA represents more than 40 NBA clients, including Baron Davis of the Clippers, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns and Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors.
Larry Reynolds
Career Overview: The former tri-athlete and Stanford University graduate is the founder and president of Reynolds Sports Management, representing Major League baseball stars for more than 20 years. He is a former Major Leaguer himself, having played five years of professional baseball before an injury propelled him into the business side of the game. He has secured numerous multi-year contracts for his clients, but specializes in salary arbitration cases.
Clients Represented: Reynolds Sports Management represents more than 15 Major League players and more than 20 Minor League baseball players, including Torri Hunter of the Los Angeles Angels and Wesley Wright of the Houston Astros.
