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Former Basketball Agent Jason Levien Becomes CEO Of The Memphis Grizzlies

From Udonis Haslem’s agent to Chief Executive Officer of the Memphis Grizzlies, watching and covering Jason Levien’s path through the business of sport has been exciting.  Levien, who will become the Grizzlies’ new CEO and managing partner, was first written about on Sports Agent Blog in an Agent Spotlight published on May 11, 2007.  At that time, a younger Levien (he was 36-years-old) had left the prominent law firm Greenberg Traurig to establish his own basketball agency where he represented quite a few talented players.  I wrote, “[Levien] will have much more success in the NBA in years to come.”  However, I could have never guessed that his achievements would be so numerous and occur so quickly

Since 2007, Levien has been General Counsel/Assistant General Manager of the Sacramento Kings, Senior Vice President of the same organization, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, and general partner of soccer franchise DC United.  ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that Levien will continue his role with DC United.

In addition to his DC United obligations, Levien now takes on a big role, one I am sure he has been working very hard to achieve, with the Memphis Grizzlies.  Levien, who helped broker the deal that allowed Robert Pera to purchase the Grizzlies for $377 million, will be in charge of basketball and business decisions for the team.

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.