Rob Pelinka Negotiates $200M Adidas Deal
Former Michigan guard Rob Pelinka - the only player who played on both the 1989 National Championship team and with the Fab Five - is now a big-time sports agent. He just negotiated a $200 million deal for James Harden to sign with Adidas.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13430132/james-harden-houston-rockets…
Dang, man. I'm hoping he can get me a $50 deal with Nike.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:33 PM ^
great for Hardin and Pelinka, so congrats to them. Rob did great stealing that money from Adidas. This is a Lebron level deal for a guy who, while a great player, has approx. one tenth the impact, publicity and influence of the King.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
For real. You go to a nursing home and everyone without dementia will know who Lebron is and what his story is. Unless you are an NBA fan you probably don't know jack about Harden besides the fact that he is a good player.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^
And that he has a beard
August 13th, 2015 at 4:57 PM ^
The beard is his marketing tool. It is the only reason I know who he is.
There is probably some provision that he is not allowed to shave it off in his contract.
If it was a Nike deal I would probably buy those shoes. s/
August 13th, 2015 at 6:21 PM ^
Besides the beard, I think Harden is also actually a pretty skilled comedic actor (probably second after Blake Griffin, IMO). I know bupkiss about marketing, but I'd have to think that this factors. Kia commercials aren't just effective because Blake Griffin is a well-known basketball player, they're effective because they're actually funny. (Caveat: perhaps they're not effective. Again, bupkiss.)
August 13th, 2015 at 6:44 PM ^
August 13th, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^
The initial report is, Hardin has to shave an Adidas logo in his beard.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:22 PM ^
For even a fraction of $200 m I would shave that on any part of my body.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
0/200000000
August 14th, 2015 at 8:25 AM ^
How much would I have to pay to help you?
August 13th, 2015 at 4:24 PM ^
And for even a smaller fraction of $200 m I would double post.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:40 PM ^
August 13th, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
adidas has a history of making awful sponsorship choices (although some weren't totally their fault-- they couldn't predict Rose's knee disasters). This, on the surface, seems to follow that trend.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:36 PM ^
I have a UM wool baseball hat that Rob signed for me In 1991 at an FCA camp in Indiana.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:36 PM ^
You should just ask Adidas. They'll tell you exactly what it's worth.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:41 PM ^
We're home to the Super Agents! In addition to Pelinka, there's also Ari Gold of "Entourage," a fictional Super Agent who has a fictional degree from Michigan.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:03 PM ^
Based on the real Ari Emanuel, who does not appear to have any real Michigan connection.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:58 PM ^
Well, is it two degrees if you get a JD/MBA? I suppose it is.
August 13th, 2015 at 5:19 PM ^
I mean, you graduate from business school and you graduate from law school.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:54 PM ^
What about Arn Tellem, UofM Law graduate. Cool story, I saw his signature on one of the dressing room doors at Sam's on Liberty amongst the sea of random signatures.
August 13th, 2015 at 5:23 PM ^
Hopefully I am next in line. I am currently a student at UM and studying to be a sports agent.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^
August 13th, 2015 at 4:55 PM ^
August 14th, 2015 at 8:29 AM ^
Here is Pelinka's client list... very impressive!
August 13th, 2015 at 3:43 PM ^
And, I know that might be high, but humor me. That's $20MM.
How many other Michigan hoops players pulled that much out of the NBA? Rice, Rose, Webber, Hardaway, Crawford, Tarpley, Mills, Howard. Any others?
August 13th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
Yes, I'm guessing that when all is said and done, Pelinka will have ended up as the richest member of the Fab Five.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^
You may be right but Webber hit NBA superstardon at exactly the right time to make rididculous money and is still earning as an analyst. I think I read somewhere that Webber had made among the most money all time off of NBA contracts alone.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:00 PM ^
Also, he wasn't technically a "member of the fab five" but I know what you meant.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^
My point was that the richest member of the Fab Five wasn't a member of the Fab Five.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
lifetime for C-Webb and Juwann. Not bad.
August 13th, 2015 at 6:09 PM ^
and other endorsements.
August 13th, 2015 at 3:52 PM ^
I'm gonna say maybe 4-5%. So roughly 10 mil. Not too shabby.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^
Mr. Pelinka done good for himself.
August 14th, 2015 at 7:17 AM ^
August 13th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
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August 13th, 2015 at 4:52 PM ^
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August 13th, 2015 at 9:15 PM ^
I will never not upvote this gif.
August 13th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^
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August 13th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
Just when I thought Adidas couldn't get any dumber, they do something like this....AND TOTALLY REDEEM THEMSELVES!
August 13th, 2015 at 3:53 PM ^
August 13th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^
Indeed he was. I think he resigned from his agency over it but then ended up opening his own agancy and resigning Boozer as a client.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:12 PM ^
Sparty needs to hire Rob Pelinka to negotiate their next apparel deal. It would sweet justice for them to hire a Michigan grad so they could get paid.
August 13th, 2015 at 5:34 PM ^
Nah, they should keep hiring their own guys and continue to get chump change.
August 13th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
You can give away this kind of money when you only have to pay your employees $2/hr.
August 13th, 2015 at 7:14 PM ^
August 13th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
Show me the money!"
August 13th, 2015 at 5:30 PM ^
Magic Johnson's agent, which was probably his first really big client. He has a great reputation.
August 13th, 2015 at 6:20 PM ^
I remember him breaking through with Kobe