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Petitions To Play Overseas

When UnderArmour announced that its first basketball endorsement would be for Brandon Jennings, an American born kid who would go on to play his first professional game overseas, the final piece of the puzzle was in place to legitimize the overseas experiment.  No longer are we wondering whether players will go from the NBA to a European/Russian/Middle Eastern team for more money.  We know they will.  If the opportunity presents itself and the player does not care about adjusting to a temporary new lifestyle (or maybe even has an interest in doing so), many owners outside of the United States will be hungry to make it happen.

While many teams abroad are obviously interested in acquiring top-notch NBA talent, no one has been more vocal in expressing his feelings than Panayiotis and George Angelopoulos, the billionaire brothers behind Olympiacos (the team that signed Childress).  In a recent New York Times article, Panayiotis said,

“Next season I will open up a small office for free agents in New York, and I will take petitions.”

And you can bet that American agents have already begun to write those petitions.  Not only do agents enjoy having another option for their clients (one that acts as a form of leverage to potentially drive up salaries in the U.S.), but in the back of their minds, they are thinking about that hefty ten-percent agent fee earned when their clients go overseas.  Plus, the fee is paid by the team, which means that absolutely nothing comes from the client’s pocket.  There is nothing like not having to invoice your client bugging him for money…and an extra six-percent over what you’ll get representing a client in the NBA is not so bad either.

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.

One reply on “Petitions To Play Overseas”

I am an agent looking for a job opportunity for an American PG who has overseas experience. Anyone interested in finding out more information for this player please contact me as soon as posssible. Please feel free to call me on my cell phone 410 218 -1471
Thanks,
Frank

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