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Agent Spotlight: Mark Stevens

Free him from the Pacers or free him from himself?
I wish this blog existed in the height of the T.O. fiesta (I figure fiesta could fit the description), although that issue is not overwith anyway.

The big talk as of late, though, has turned to Ron Artest and his demand to be traded out of Indiana. Artest’s agent, Mark Stevens has received some press since Artest’s initial demand, and many people have been bashing Stevens for the job he has done so far.

Let’s examine why people think Mr. Stevens has done a poor job and if he deserves that type of criticism.

Gregg M. Schmidt at Field Level says:

Ron Artest needs an agent or friend or somebody to help him know what to say, when to say it and how to act. Mark Stevens didn’t do a good job at that. Where was Stevens when Artest made his desire to be traded so open?

But is that an agent’s job? Are we in the position to tell our clients what to say, how to say it, and how to feel emotionally? Or instead, are we supposed to always be behind our clients in every decision that they make and put all of our power behind each and every decision to make sure that our clients have the best opportunity to be happy? To answer Mr. Schmidt’s question, I would imagine that Mark Stevens was on the phone or with Ron Artest when he made his desire to be traded public. I believe that any good Agent would be a part of that decision.

Schmidt closes his article with:

Artest is a wild-child – but it all goes back to who keeps him in line. Mark Stevens should be replaced because he didn’t…maybe by somebody with a straight jacket and a muzzle? Artest needs to take responsibilty of his own actions, but when you’re not all there – the people around you must keep you in line (or try).

I disagree. Clients pay their agents money to guide them to make smart decisions, but also to back them up 100% if they feel otherwise. I am sure that Ron Artest felt very strongly about being traded out of Indiana, and I respect Mark Stevens for defending his client this entire time. As an agent, you must be your client’s guide, best friend, and biggest follower. By sticking by Artest, Mark Stevens has shown a sense of character to maybe forfeit his own image in the spotlight so that his client will have some protection.

[tags]Ron Artest, Mark Stevens, Pacers, Sports Agent, trade, NBA[/tags]

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.

One reply on “Agent Spotlight: Mark Stevens”

[…] A quick look at our recent hits chart shows a heavy increase in the daily exposure of this site. A lot of the new traffic is coming from referrals on search engines to the search query of “Mark Stevens.” Back on January 3rd, I decided to take a look at Basketball Agent Mark Stevens and left it up for discussion on whether he was handling the Ron Artest situation correctly or not. […]

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