In many eyes, LeBron James and Rich Paul are two of the most powerful men in the NBA. Of course, Paul is LeBron's agent, and together, they helped form Klutch Sports which now represents some of the biggest players in the league. Over the years, Klutch Sports' influence has grown, with Anthony Davis' trade to the Lakers being a prime example. In fact, six players on the Los Angeles Lakers are represented by Klutch Sports, which just goes to show their power.
For some, this power goes a bit too far, as demonstrated in a brand new piece by Ben Standig and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. In the article, an anonymous NBA agent unleashed on LeBron and Paul, claiming that what they are doing is borderline illegal, and must be stopped.
“The worst thing that LeBron is doing is forcing this power with Rich Paul and what that is, in terms of, he’s a player, but he has prowess in the media space,” the agent said. “But now that they’ve jumped into the agent game, which the reality is, it’s illegal for a player, particularly if you’re in the state of California, to be licensed to represent talent. Now I know it’s this façade that it’s Rich Paul, but it’s really LeBron who recruits for Rich Paul. So it’s almost like they’re trying to control AAU at the NBA level.”
Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Remy Martin
The agent went on to say that Paul and LeBron are responsible for millions of dollars in losses when it comes to "mismanaged" players. For instance, this agent uses players like Norris Cole, Nerlens Noel, and Shabazz Muhammed as an example. They even went so far as to say that the NBA players union should be investigating Klutch Sports for malpractice.
“And you have to call out the union,” they continued. “They should be meeting with Rich Paul, saying, ‘What happened here? What happened here? They represent all the players. They all pay the same amount for dues. If Rich Paul were a lawyer, he’d be disbarred five times. But because LeBron is so powerful, there is no accountability.”
Based on these attacks, it's clear the agent has a real axe to grind with LeBron and Paul. These two are powerful individuals their influence is obvious. Regardless, these latest comments feel like personal attacks, more than they feel like fact-based allegations.
[Via]
