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Does Michael Whitaker Have George Hill 2.0?

Michael Whitaker is a basketball agent at Reid Entertainment.  Whitaker is not a common name in the industry like an Arn Tellem, Leon Rose, or Bill Duffy, and Reid Entertainment is not a name that floats around with WMG, CAA, or BDA, but Whitaker and Reid Entertainment have been making large strides in establishing a strong presence within the NBA.

6a00d83451c3cb69e2011168596670970c-800wiWhitaker is the primary agent for Stanley Burrell, Rashaun Freeman, Keith Langford, Ricky Minard, and David Teague (mostly overseas).  Most notably, he is the man behind last year’s surprise NBA Draft first-round pick, George Hill, and a guy who has seen his draft stock explode over the past week: Jermaine Taylor (pictured: left).

Whitaker does not yet have the name or resources to go after the Blake Griffins and Derrick Roses, but he has done a very impressive job securing less scouted, high talented players into his agency.  Last year, George Hill from IUPUI (which everyone loves to try to pronounce come tournament time) was a surprise first-round pick.  But many attributed his rise to the hard work put in by Whitaker.  Among those who noticed, is Whitaker’s most recent NBA Draft hopeful, Jermaine Taylor.  Taylor told Draft Express,

“What he’s done for George [Hill] is great. He was in the same position that I’m in right now. He came from a small school, not too many people knew about him, and he went first round. I’m trying to do the same thing; I have all the confidence in my agent and right now he’s showing me that he’s doing a good job.”

The 6’4 Shooting Guard from UCF is not doing too bad of a job himself.  Taylor has been the most talked about player at the Portsmouth Invitiational Tournament.  His performance has a lot to do with his recent press, but perhaps Michael Whitaker is playing an instrumental role as well.

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 “Does Michael Whitaker Have George Hill 2.0?”

What would you attribute the agent’s success to? He somehow is doing an awesome job, but I wonder what it is. Relentless marketing? Awesome training? I think he was thinking of sending Hill before the draft to a great NBA trainer I know out here (Guss Armstead), but I dont think he ever went.

The usual statement in sports is that an agent can’t make any GM select a guy, most teams want what they want. They say the key for agents is to prepare the player to put their best foot forward. Is pre-draft prep as important for hoops as it is for football? If so, I’m interested in who he sends his guys to. But congrats to this man for seeing the diamond in the rough!

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