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More About Kris Humphries’ Switch From Lagardère To Pinnacle

Last week, I wrote about Kris Humphries, currently a power forward playing for the New Jersey Nets, firing sports agent Dan Fegan of Lagardère Unlimited and hiring Marc Cornstein of Pinnacle Management.  Cornstein has a solid group of clients (including Samuel Dalembert, Darko Milicic, Beno Udrih, and Nenad Krstic), but it pales in comparison to Fegan’s list, which contains roughly 20 NBA clients, including names like John Wall and Dwight Howard.  Players change agents all the time, and we are often not afforded with information regarding why the players make the switch.  Over the weekend; however, I was told quite an interesting story about a contributing reason behind Humphries’ change of agents.

As is the case for most people who follow basketball, I did not know all that much about Kris Humphries at the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.  He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the #14 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, but only started in a total of 8 games prior to the start of this past regular season.  But then came in email in October 2010 from a gentleman named Josh Ketroser, introducing himself and how we are connected through others.  Ketroser explained that he formerly worked in the Los Angeles office of Priority Sports & Entertainment, and recently moved out to New York City to work with one of his best friends, Kris Humphries.  Ketroser and I continued to talk on a regular basis and he eventually suggested that I do some work for Humphries, specifically with regards to various marketing opportunities.  A marketing agreement was drafted, but never signed.  Apparently Fegan was not too thrilled about my potential involvement.

Ketroser was simply trying to do as much as he could to help his best friend, who happened to be in the middle of the best season of his career, and I believed that I could also do some good work on behalf of Humphries.  Over the weekend, I was told that Ketroser had also spoken with Fegan in December/early January about possible employment, but nothing ever came of it.  Ketroser eventually got a job with an agent – Marc Cornstein – who now represents Ketroser’s best friend, Kris Humphries.  The Pinnacle Hoops website lists Ketroser as the company’s East Coast Director.  From speaking with Ketroser, I can tell that he is very happy with his decision.

Humphries joined Pinnacle Hoops because he and his family felt that the company had the most to offer him at this point in his career, and it certainly did not help that his best friend was offered a job there.  As a side note, I did not receive the information for this story from Josh Ketroser, himself.

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 “More About Kris Humphries’ Switch From Lagardère To Pinnacle”

Darren, u are a self-serving individual with no credibility.  Trying to make others look bad is not a good trait.  I’m sure your a Miami Heat fan as well. –Dan

Dan Fegan is done in this business.  John Wall is about ready to fire that a-hole too.

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