The sports industry can be very lucrative. Many people make a very good living working in professional sports, not the least of which are the agents that represent the athletes that fans often idolize.
Agents, generally, have one primary goal in representing different athletes. As Jerry Maguire once screamed on behalf of his client Rod Tidwell, “Show me the money!”
That considered, it’s no wonder why Jay-Z will most likely choose to give up his less than one-percent ownership of the Brooklyn Nets. Minority ownership just isn’t profitable enough … but sports are still where the money is at.
Earlier this year, Jay-Z announced his intention to become a sports agent and established Roc Nation Sports in conjunction with Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Roc Nation aims to be a full-service sports management company.
The caveat, however, is that founding partner Jay-Z, is not certified as a sports agent — yet.
Question in the agent meeting just now “is Jay Z certified” answer “no, but Shawn Carter is..”
— Bernie Lee (@bleebasket) June 19, 2013
NBPA certified sports agent Bernie Lee was making light of Jay-Z — whose real name is Shawn Carter — and his public persona. While he is still working to obtain various certifications, his company already has a slew of athletes that it represents.
NFL agents were unhappy with him after New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz announce in April that he would be switching to CAA for management services after being recruited by his friend, Carter.
This circumstance may be a bit unfair, as Carter can easily recruit talent using his popular image as a platinum hip hop artist.
He currently is awaiting a decision from the MLBPA regarding his application for certification. He will most likely attempt to obtain NFLPA certification through an exception in their bylaws requiring applicants to have a post-graduate degree.
The exception allows for a minimum of seven years of sufficient negotiating experience to be accepted — upon review — in lieu of a post-graduate degree.
Whether or not he is approved for certification, Lee’s jape was at least clever.
—UPDATE—
Shawn Carter, otherwise known as Jay-Z, has now been approved to represent NBA athletes. It is not yet known how soon he’ll be able to take on clients, as he has yet to sell his stake in the Brooklyn Nets.
As reported earlier in June by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder intends to sign with Carter and Roc Nation Sports, signaling what would be a huge boon for the newly founded agency.
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