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O.J. Mayo’s Search Ends With Smitty

O.J. Mayo‘s search for a new agent may have un-officially come to a close.  Mayo cannot actually sign a new NBPA licensed advisor until fifteen days after his firing of Leon Rose and CAA.  But the rumor is that the search party is over and that as soon as he is able to sign a new contractual agent, O.J. Mayo will hire LaPoe “Smitty” Smith Jr.

Smitty is a basketball agent who works out of an office in San Antonio, Texas.  HoopsHype and DraftExpress list LaPoe on their sites, but neither resource shows him as representing any active players.  So did O.J. really fire one of the biggest agencies for a small time agent?  Not quite.

While LaPoe Smith does not have any current NBA clients, he used to have his hands full representing Penny Hardaway through the injuries and the team changes.  Smith has also been coaching a team, the aptly named L. Smith & Associates, in the Southern California Summer Pro League for quite some time.  In fact, he had the privilege of coaching New England Patriots wide-receiver, Randy Moss, back in 2000.  Bo Outlaw has been playing with Smith’s teams, as well.

So why the sudden change for O.J.?  I am sure that someone was in his ear.  When you are a professional athlete in any sport making decent money, people are going to start talking.  But another concern for Mayo might have been that he would get lost in the CAA shuffle.  Remember that CAA recently acquired Henry Thomas’s basketball practice at CSMG.  Mayo had to know that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would take preference over his own affairs.  Perhaps he wanted to make sure he was #1 on his agent’s list.  By becoming the only client of LaPoe Smith, he knows he will be the top concern at the agency.

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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