Categories
Headline NBA Players Sports Agents

Arn Tellem And Amar’e Stoudemire Invest In Israeli Basketball Team

New York Knicks power forward Amar'e Stoudemire (middle) reacts during the final minute of the game against the Indiana Pacers in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 106-99.Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
New York Knicks power forward Amar'e Stoudemire (middle) reacts during the final minute of the game against the Indiana Pacers in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 106-99.Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
New York Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire (middle) is teaming up with Arn Tellem to invest in basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem. Photo Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Shabbat Shalom comes a couple of days early with this article that combines sports agency and Israel.  The Jerusalem Post has reported that basketball and baseball agent Arn Tellem is part of a group that won the bid to purchase a ninety-percent interest in Israeli basketball team Hapoel Jerusalem.  Also included in the new ownership group is New York Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire.

The cost for ninety-percent of Hapoel Jerusalem comes out to roughly $5.6 million.  I am not too concerned that Stoudemire can afford his portion, considering he signed a 5-year $99.7 million contract in 2010.  Have little concern for Tellem, as well.  According to Hoopshype.com, Tellem represents more NBA salary under contract (at $273,565,306) than any other basketball agent.

Stoudemire is not a Tellem client.  The Knicks power forward is represented by Happy Walters of Relativity Sports.

In 2010, Stoudemire traveled to Israel to do some exploration of his Jewish roots on his mother’s side of the family.  Now he can visit Israel any time he wants for “business purposes”.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner created Sports Agent Blog as a New Year's Resolution on December 31, 2005. Originally titled, "I Want To Be A Sports Agent," the website was founded with the intention of causing Heitner to learn more about the profession that he wanted to join, meet reputable individuals in the space and force himself to stay on top of the latest news and trends.

Heitner now runs Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm with many practice areas, including sports law and contract law. Heitner has represented numerous athletes and sports agents as legal counsel. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington from 2011-2014, where he created and taught a course titled, Sport Agency Management, which included subjects ranging from NCAA regulations to athlete agent certification and the rules governing the profession. Heitner serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he teaches a Sports Law class that includes case law surrounding athlete agents and the NCAA rules.