born american sports agent primarily works basketball players national_basketball_association began career representing professional tennis players best known representing sports icon entirety jordan career jordan represented nba players generally considered influential player agent nba seen peak years career 1990s considered second powerful person nba commissioner client nba teams listed powerful people sports straight years named united_states negotiated highest contracts nba history patrick negotiated professional sports million contract unprecedented free agency period company fame changed entire salary structure nba negotiating million contracts free agent clients day period january launched fame today serves founder ceo represented players prime sports agent career 1990s represented players time personal life born middle class jewish family long_island new_york second children father finished high school owned butcher shops long_island mother master degrees spoke languages worked interpreter world war latin american affairs described mother teacher inspirational force called biggest influence life drove achieve great heights good brought home college board scores think got time crushed didn understand poorly think share lot qualities expression guiding principle life shoot stars settle second best mother avid fan fact influenced career decision career path longtime childhood friend colleague attorney remembers proclaiming wanted represent professional athletes fourth grade high school friend noted good teams new_york ardent sports fan frequently watched baseball games stadium graduated degree economics subsequently earned honors law school years parents separated maintained minimal contact father remained close mother death lives maryland wife frank served undergraduate counselor years recruited students new_england area caribbean years worked production manager software company maryland later moved software publishing division managed distribution sales software international world serves board directors daughters born honors graduate accomplished beverly_hills photographer born dean list student television communication sports marketing promotions contracts signing attempts establish contact agents boston turned attempted phone seven weeks finally annoyed called office times hour period took informed hiring offered work free unpaid intern attending law school finally offering time job starting graduation pro tennis player primarily represented tennis players allowed handle large portion nba dealings proved capable agent signed nba draft picks negotiated million dollar nba shoe deal inside track north_carolina successfully represented number basketball alumni including year entered nba draft partners left start competing firm signed pick jordan signed shoe deal air jordan signing jordan quickly great deal shoe deal start 80s figure shoe deal small player companies like virtually owned market basketball shoes 1970s signed year million endorsement deal negotiated decided large demands shoe companies jordan services including shoe line royalty decided stretch envelope said instead calling companies asking pay called asked presentation explain promote got lot replies unbeknownst jordan decided target jordan player future jordan initially college worn company endorsement deal tar heels coach court wore jordan worn seen shoe company contacted initial offer shoe line percentage revenues jordan standing offer demanded match figure addition revenue percentage came offer smaller cut agreed elected guaranteed money revenue percentage said lost lot money retrospect amounted wasn big time bidding war probably determining thing wasn going offer lot money time athlete going share royalties shoe deal significant considered difficult market african american players especially team sport like basketball fact insisted outs initial contract jordan shoe line dropped certain sales figures met jordan failed nba star game years shoe line expected earn million years turned earned million making contract jordan great time precursor jordan lucrative deals including deal million jordan relationship considered successful sports endorsement relationship history marketing soon proved capable agent innovative marketing ideas allowed establish jordan primary image began splitting including chevrolet mcdonald ball park ideas stretched areas marketplace including called simply beverly_hills designer cited best marketed product came idea teaming jordan feature film sold concept ensuing film executive produced released importantly set precedent opting jordan league licensing program effect jordan image use jordan grateful agent remarkable negotiating marketing abilities penchant making powerful enemies way lot people don like david best jordan told usa today year underneath skin negotiating figures objectives angles understands market understands players arrogant aggressive good represent want marketing wise great came concept air jordan partly partly professional success personal jordan powerful effective products american history making business products lucrative playing game jordan success turned million worth endorsement deals space months split establishment sale fame great early success considered split establish company paid taxes year earned years working said lingering bitterness loyalty way street split professional divorce brought considerable client list agreed provide fees clients income new contracts sought arbitration enforce agreement claiming rewritten clients party contracts reduce fees partners soon propelled fame nba player representation business peak company consisted people represented players fame year existence represented unprecedented round draft picks nba negotiated million contracts free agent clients negotiated largest contracts team sports history prior company sale contracts players totaled million sold fame entertainment group sfx million remaining group president space year sfx bought private sports representation companies combined billion consolidated naming chairman ironically companies sfx acquired found charge company left bitter terms oversaw acquisition dozen sports agencies enabled sfx represent approximately percent mlb nba players largely work fellow agent umbrella represented nba players contract negotiations came represent approximately nba players nba nba key figures nba originally occurred players wanted soft salary cap owners wanted hard salary cap led rebellion establishing faction players number agents including players fellow agents began advocating goal strip nba management protection making salary cap forms collective violations laws win settlement court immediately form nba commissioner criticized involvement negotiations saying clients player representative went far blame entire think thing manufactured told charlotte observer friday night guys initiate drive aren concerned union everyday little guy guys league years voice opinion going sudden doesn like going despite considerable support defeated vote manage influence helped lead luxury tax salaries ultimately led deal increased players portion nba revenues salary structure saw million season argued concessions gained owners role primary cause occurred seasons later nba described invisible hand guided union negotiations president client agent nearly half union member negotiating committee including presence negotiations assumed publicly stated october new_york_times article roll exert influence scenes planning role ending shortly statements times article represented nba players organized charity exhibition game proceeds going financially nba players number clients saw game threat create new league partnership entertainment giant sfx recently purchased company million game played december featuring stars drawing crowd people organizers originally planned proceeds nba players public criticism caused instead million national local charities criticized multiple fronts role negotiations nba commissioner accused specifically holding deal hostage benefits high end clients fellow player agent saw excessive influence union president patrick time patrick like watching said agent represents waiting battery patrick goes hardly influence break president saying trying union years saw controlling influence union negotiations involvement led famously dubbing bench new_york_daily_news article rare person writer root sports owner finally ended hours cancellation entire nba season players overwhelmingly ratified latest deal forward influence inspiration nba trades client list centerpiece primary nba able leverage teams agreeing terms contracts trades speculated engineered nba trades height power considered second powerful man basketball nba commissioner list powerful people sports listed lower straight years peaking massive leverage says general manager team didn want fear michael considered marketing genius david represents players major force pretty gets asks deal forced trade gives good indication power threatened telling walk away free agency end season traded suggesting dump stable free agents lap moved started looking possible trade scenarios went far veto trade brought client minnesota claiming interest playing minnesota eventually forced send new_jersey team trade minnesota general manager greatly trade quoted saying nuclear bomb dropped earth things survive second trade resulted influence mega deal moved center patrick team trade involving players draft picks apparently threats miami heat consent trade supposedly wanted new_york frequently making use threats deals clients maximize earnings remained arguing simply looking best interests clients called leverage said company world uses leverage engage negotiation bad teams good players work players building wealth clients early departure nba agents begun acknowledging generally negotiated contracts defined market year set standard agents judged end nba controlled players seen ing structure economics entire league day period summer negotiated contracts jordan mourning worth million usually earned player contracts maximum allowed roughly million deals successful negotiating contracts sold fame contracts players totaled million earned player endorsement deals court income endorsement deals soaring million annually counted yearly income tens millions negotiated notable shoe endorsements nfl player endorse pump liked league nba executives acknowledging felt held power largest contracts team sports history pre eminent agent nba contributor spike player salaries saw average nba contract rise year jordan signed million stepped chairman venom frequently directed way criticize power clients think lived block houses sold million neighbors thank business don angry professional legacy enduring legacy best described nba new star centered focus idea people bought tickets jordan large proportion benefit basketball hybrid individual team sport saying gifted players team environment patrick bring fans fans come watch play primarily create marketing opportunities new luxury boxes paid money salary structure close hollywood makes million film second star makes million believe economics major neo capitalist book playing keeps world helped remarkable degree special collaboration true person end actually deeds went court hit final jump shot true helped process representing basketball player going team sport creating idea individual player commercial superstar personal legacy philanthropy april established david center sport management annex carrier dome better prepare graduates enter sports industry student athletes manage realities professional sports life skills training supported million gift wife inaugural event panel discussion issues contemporary sports madison square garden new_york_city chair university june announced named professor sport management begin position august teaching courses international sport sport communications sport marketing pursuing scholarly work research academic initiatives burton executive director chief marketing officer commissioner sydney australia march announced pledge additional million david center sports management announced million donation construction reference number dean david college sport human dynamics murphy lead dedication ceremony commemorate opening new home college time college history dates began course nutrition course taught college academic disciplines administrative offices housed central location ventures board directors founding investor private aviation company golf partners founder principal digital alternative advertising company frequent guest lecturer universities country including harvard yale duke serves advisory board mother teacher think reason amidst deal making skills strong bent says enjoy teaching believe important society executive producer executive produced number sports related films including teamed jordan number characters max critically acclaimed large format feature sports emmy award winning documentary history park basketball league book bald truth released february partial client list nba player clients bold non nba player clients
David Falk