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NCAA Looking At PJ Hairston’s Relationship With Basketball Agent Rodney Blackstock

Last week, The Big Lead learned that the NCAA opened an investigation into UNC-Chapel Hill guard PJ Hairston.  Specifically, an apparent relationship between Hairston and basketball agent Rodney Blackstock is under question.  The Big Lead included a GIF of Blackstock saluting Hairston at a basketball game.  Not quite sure what that proves other than the fact that the two know each other.

pj-hairston-rodney-blackstock

The Big Lead reports that Blackstock is certified by the National Basketball Players Association.  To my knowledge, he does not currently represent any active NBA players.  However, that will change once his client and former Kansas guard Ben McLemore is drafted tomorrow evening.

Blackstock’s name should be familiar, since he was the focus of a May 17, 2013 USA TODAY article concerning his relationship with Kansas guard Ben McLemore.  In the article, McLemore confirmed his relationship with Blackstock, who was involved in vetting sports agents and financial advisors for the superstar who will soon be a lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.  However, McLemore said he was unaware of any payments made by Blackstock to third parties, including McLemore’s former AAU coach in the amount of $10,000.

McLemore said the following: “He (Blackstock) helped me a lot, and you know, like I said, I’ve been through a lot so far and he been there trying to help me, you know, get through this process.”

Now the NCAA may be interested to see if Blackstock has also been assisting Hairston, and if so, whether any impermissible benefits were received by Hairston due to a relationship between the player and Blackstock.

DraftExpress.com currently projects Hairston to be a mid-first round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

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.