One-time superagent David Falk is down to eight NBA clients, but as the man who negotiated the contracts of Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and countless other superstars of years gone by, his words still carry some clout. He spoke with Sam Amick of SI.com and shared his thoughts on some of the league's current issues. Some highlights:
- Falk says he wasn't part of a group of agents trying to unseat players union executive director Billy Hunter during the lockout this summer, but believes the union suffers from a lack of solidarity and that Hunter is reluctant to accept help. He believes the union and agents should cooperate more.
- The rookie wage scale and other rigid salary structures have pressured many agents to pay players and their relatives, friends and other associates to win clients because there's little agents can do to differentiate themselves, Falk says.
- The public relations disaster that resulted from the televising of LeBron James' "Decision" demonstrates how many star players have been managing their agents, and not the other way around.
- In the digital age, Dwight Howard doesn't need to be in a major media center, like rumored destinations Brooklyn or Los Angeles, to grow his brand.