BEST agent Dan Fegan has signed NBA draft prospect John Wall “for contract representation,” according to sources cited by Liz Mullen of Sportsbusiness Journal. Sources indicated that BEST also is “finalizing a collaborative agreement for Wall’s marketing work.”
Mullen notes Wall is “seen as having the potential of being an iconic NBA player and is said to be generating interest from multiple shoe companies.” The NBA shoe market for rookies has been “in a recession of sorts, and Wall is seen by many industry insiders as the player who could turn it around”
(SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/3 issue). DRAFTEXPRESS.com President Jonathan Givony writes the “signing of Wall is a major coup for Fegan, BEST and, potentially, Lagardere,” which reportedly is in talks to acquire BEST. NBA agents and other industry insiders expect Lagardere to “immediately compete with” CAA and Wasserman Media Group, “companies that have slowly taken over the NBA agent landscape.” The Wall signing is a “major step in that direction and will provide a huge amount of exposure in turn.” Yahoo last month reported that Wall was in talks to join LEBRON JAMES’ LRMR marketing firm, but “that deal appears to have fallen apart” (DRAFTEXPRESS.com, 5/3).