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NBA Players Recruiting Sports Agents

Running Calvin Andrews Into Trouble

Life was good for Calvin Andrews and BDA Sports.  They had locked up O.J. Mayo and were ready for another successful NBA draft.  Then came the news that O.J. Mayo had received money from Rodney Guillory, a runner for Andrews and BDA.  Calvin maintained that he stopped giving money to Mayo through runners prior to O.J. enrolling at USC.  It turns out that his claim may have been far from the truth.

Calvin Andrews has been suspended by the NBPA for one year and its disciplinary committee may take further action in the future.  It was obvious that Calvin’s and BDA’s name would be hurt by all of the negative headlines, but with a full-year suspension and the potential for an even larger penalty, what will this mean for Andrews, BDA, and Bill Duffy?  They lost Mayo (who eventually signed with Leon Rose) and may be blocked from recruiting many one-time potential recruits due to a large kick to their reputation.

On May 23rd, I pointed out that the NBPA was starting to get serious about enforcing many of its regulations and that a penalty would probably be assessed to Andrews if he knowingly/recklessly/negligently supplied funds to a runner/handler who then passed them onto Mayo.  The NBPA’s investigation into Mayo’s recruitment must have dug up some facts that led it to believe that Andrews played an active role in Guillory’s recruitment method.

BDA’s NBA Draft grade of C- may start to look rather generous.  What will be BDA’s plan now that Andrews cannot represent his clients for at least a year?  Who will fill in the gap?  How will Duffy restore his agency’s integrity?

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.