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DeMarcus Cousins Signs With John Greig

Yesterday, I discussed a phrase that is regularly used around this time every single year – testing the waters.  But testing the waters is not right for everyone.  In fact, college basketball players who know that they definitely will not be returning to school should not test the waters.  It only delays the inevitable, and has the potential of allowing the player’s name to slip on some draft lists.

While not every player from this past year’s extremely talented University of Kentucky basketball team has made a decision on whether to stay or leave to play professionally, DeMarcus Cousins has made a decision – he will be going pro.  DraftExpress.com currently has Cousins being drafted third overall to the Detroit Pistons.  With that type of draft grade, you might assume that he signed with a big name like WMG, BDA, CAA, or BEST.  But that is not the case.

Cousins selection = John Greig.  Longtime readers of SportsAgentBlog.com will remember the name.  Greig is the owner of SportsTalent (which does not have a working website – c’mon Greig!), a company based in Sammamish, WA.  Hopefully the commissions earned on Cousins is enough to keep Greig warm in the winter months.

How did a guy like Greig land DeMarcus Cousins?  I absolutely love it, because it gives rising agents hope that they can compete against the “big boys”.  That said, his biggest American client is Pops Mensah-Bonsu, and most of his practice is based on representing players overseas.  I would have thought that his first big NBA client would be a player from one of the schools in his state.  Washington can’t be heavily recruited.  And Cousins was probably approached by at least 50 agents.

As stated above, if you have read this blog for a while, you know the name John Greig.  I did an Agent Spotlight on him back in August 2009.  In that spotlight, I even mentioned that he needs a website!  Greig tells me that he has had a website, will have one again, but that he thinks websites are more beneficial to the agent than they are to the player and that websites are overrated.  That said, Greig does have a Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace page.  I am a little bit confused, but I will move on.  In the piece from August 2009, I also gave Greig huge props for managing a fairly large agency by himself.  In his playing days, Greig had a short stint with the Seattle SuperSonics, and played in Spain, France, and Switzerland.

So how do you think Greig signed DeMarcus Cousins?  I bet that there will be a lot of big agents talking to Cousins in an attempt to pry him away in the future.  Let’s see if Cousins stays loyal to his original selection – I hope he does.

In response to asking Greig for something inspiring for you all, Greig said, “Maybe inspire your readers by telling that perhaps sometimes good guys do finish first !!!”

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.

4 replies on “DeMarcus Cousins Signs With John Greig”

Someone close to DeMarcus could have suggested Greig. DeMarcus could have been introduced to Greig in recent history. DeMarcus also could have simply wanted to be represented by an agency with less all stars so that his chances of being forgotten, not heavily prioritzed, or being put on the backburner are decreased. Do we actually know how these two got hooked up?

Just met Demarcus Cousins today and he is training in Bellevue WA at maximum sports conditioning

http://www.maxsc.net

His agent brought him here because he resides in the Seattle Area and trains with Tim Manson, I work for the training facility as a marketing coordinator and keep anyone updated who would like to know!

tim silk can you email me your info just email information i want to ask you a couple questions and interview you about being a marketing coordinator

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