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A Student Basketball Forum To Empower And Mentor Athletes

You probably have never heard of the Student Basketball Forum, but if author/speaker/businessman Marc Isenberg and Nolan Smith of the Portland Trail Blazers (and former Duke Blue Devil) have their way, the “Forum” will gather the strength to empower the next generation of great college and pro basketball players and great leaders.  The gentlemen have made their presence known on an official Facebook page and they received some positive press a few days ago in the Wall Street Journal.

The Forum’s missions are as follows:

  • Empower: We believe uninformed and misinformed athletes are easy marks for unscrupulous coaches, boosters, agents, financial advisors and even friends and family. The Forum will educate and empower players to take a more active role in shaping their future success—and give hem the educational tools necessary to do so.
  • Advocate: College basketball is a great game, but it is a questionable business, especially when viewed though the athletes’ experience. College players need a group dedicated to their interests.  Think about it: Every other group within the NCAA’s hierarchy has an group that represents college presidents, athletic directors and coaches. It’s 2011: College basketball players deserve an organization that unapologetically serves them.
  • Mentor: Too many professional athletes end up experiencing problems— financial, physical and mental. This is a reversible trend—at least for those who are willing to put in the time necessary to learn how the business of sports works. In order to help basketball players succeed, The Forum will build a trusted mentorship network to help the next generation of players succeed.
As of right now, the co-founders of the Forum are not quite sure how agents will be involved, if at all.  However, one way that agents can help is by being supportive of the movement and providing information about the Forum to their basketball clients.  The Forum understands the value of strength in numbers.  It believes there is strength in numbers.  The more high-profile, quality people involved in the Forum, the more likely elite high school and college players will engage in their community.

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 “A Student Basketball Forum To Empower And Mentor Athletes”

It sounds good but since Nolan Smith Step dad is in the heart of the Michael Beasley lawsuit against Joel Bell I dont know how much I would feed into it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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