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Possible Tie Between ASM Sports & Former Convict

Choose to play basketball at the University of Central Florida (UCF) over offers from Georgia, Louisville, and UCLA, and you are sure to attract attention.  That is exactly what happened when the talented Kevin Ware picked UCF over these historically much stronger basketball programs.  Unfortunately for UCF, it also made outsiders focus on the institution and how it was able to attain such a talented individual.

As Pete Thamel of The New York Times reports, UCF was aided by a man named Kenneth Caldwell, who has a criminal record and may be tied to ASM Sports.  Caldwell denies the affiliation to ASM Sports, but had listed ASM Sports as an employer on his LinkedIN page, where it said that he was a recruiter of potential NBA players.  Further, Thamel points out that a former associate of ASM Sports claimed that Caldwell works for the company.

ASM Sports’ client list includes Rudy Fernandez, Daniel Gibson, Serge Ibaka,Chauncey Billups, Marreese Speights, Kevin Garnett, J.J. Hickson, and Andre Miller.  They all are primary clients of founder, Andy Miller.  Along with Miller, Justin Zanik and Andrew Vye hold down the fort at ASM.  Miller has denied any relationship with Caldwell.  Zanik admits to having a relationship with Caldwell, but denied Caldwell being employed by his company.

Who is telling the truth?

This line from Thamel’s piece really sticks out:

[Caldwell] denies being a runner, but said if he were he would be “the best in the country, and you could not stop me.”

 

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.

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