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Unsung Hero Day: Luther Head

Luther HeadDon Langridan at sports blog, With Malice, has dubbed today as Unsung Hero Day. The point is to recognize the guys who toil and work hard every day, for no recognition. We should appreciate the role-players who come on and give that valuable 2-5 minutes. Without them, there is no NBA. Without further ado, I pronounce my unsung hero: Luther Head.

By definition, Luther Head probably does not even qualify as a candidate on Unsung Hero Day. He is only in his third year of play in the NBA, playing all three years with the Houston Rockets. This year, he is averaging his lower points per game total at 7.5PPG, down from his high of 10.9PPG that he averaged last year. Still, in his first two years, he logged 80 games a piece and is on pace to come close to that mark again this year. He is definitely what you call a role-player.

Luther has seen his minutes decrease this year, which is definitely partly due to the formation of a rejuvenated, young, and very talented Houston Rockets team that at one point this season, went 22 games without losing. Luther Head still has a long career ahead of him where he could potentially one day earn a starting spot on an NBA roster. My personal opinion; however, is that he will be a role-player off the bench until the day he retires.

As a player who really fits at the two spot, Luther is undersized, at 6’3. He was able to hide his lack of size when playing college ball at the University of Illinois and definitely shined on the courts growing up in Chicago. He was part of a great team in college, playing alongside Deron Williams and Dee Brown. Luther always displays his heart and passion for the game in every minute that he logs. That’s what makes him an NBA unsung hero.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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