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NCAA Investigating Wasserman Basketball Agent Thad Foucher’s Ties To UCLA’s Kyle Anderson

Wasserman Media Group’s Executive Vice President of Basketball, Thad Foucher, made the biggest signing of his basketball agent career when the #1 overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, Anthony Davis, chose Foucher and Wasserman’s Vice Chairman Arn Tellem as his agents.  More recently; however, Foucher’s name is being mentioned in basketball circles because there is talk that he is on the NCAA’s radar in its investigation focusing on UCLA.  Specifically, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reported that the NCAA is looking at a possible relationship between Foucher and UCLA freshman Kyle Anderson, which may concern some kind of recruiting violation.

Foucher has been a Wasserman Media Group employee since 1998.  His clients include LaMarcus Aldridge, DJ Augustin and Russell Westbrook.  Prior to joining Wasserman, Foucher was the head coach of a very successful New Orleans, Louisiana-based AAU team.  Part of the NCAA inquiry concerns UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad, who may have received what the NCAA terms as “improper benefits” from boosters of the AAU team he played for in Las Vegas, Nevada.  There is no reason to believe that Foucher is in any way involved in the Muhammad phase of the NCAA’s investigation.

I have reached out to Wasserman Media Group for comment on the matter, and am awaiting an official response.

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.