World Wide Wes and The Family AAU Bball team?

Submitted by FGB on

In researching LeBron's upcoming free agency, the issue of World Wide Wes came up. Wes is an adviser of sorts for LeBron, has connections to Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, and his longtime attorney is LeBron's agent, so conspiracy theories pop up about them winding up together, possibly in Chicago where Wes is based these days.

WWW is also heavily connected to Calipari (helping Dajuan Wagner, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Derrick Rose find their way to Memphis).

But I also noticed his wikipedia page (I know, not gospel) suggests he is affiliated with The Family AAU team in Detroit, which folks around here probably know is the AAU squad of 2011 commit Carlton Brundidge, as well as big man target Amir Williams.

Does anyone know what exactly his connection to The Family is, or how much he may or may not be in the ear of kids like Brundidge or Williams? Does he sponsor the team, or is he just a "handler" for the kids? Or is he not really involved on the ground floor at all right now?

Tater

February 1st, 2010 at 6:56 AM ^

The cap would cripple any team trying to sign all three. If they subjugated their greed and took pay cuts, there still wouldn't be enough money to put together anything remotely competent around them.

They are great, but they would be playing three on five at worst or with no depth at best. That doesn't work in the NBA.

el segundo

February 1st, 2010 at 10:34 AM ^

From what I've read about WWW, and from what I know about the Family, I think the connection between Wes and the Family is through Nike. Although no-one really knows what Wes does, it seems like he is some kind of super street agent for Nike. Nike also sponsors the Family, providing shoes, etc., and, I think, some funding. My guess is that Wes makes connections between kids from the Family and coaches at Nike schools.

Kids from the Family tend to go to Nike schools. Manny Harris could be seen as an exception, but I think Michigan was still technically a Nike school when he committed (although maybe it was known at that time that a switch to adidas was in the works).

dylanb

February 1st, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^

Including kids on Michigan's roster, especially Peedi.

That connection has been known for sometime and it is what it is. The biggest time it has really come up was during Malik Hairston's recruitment. As you know, Hairston went to Oregon... Essentially 'Nike U'.

akearney50

February 1st, 2010 at 11:30 AM ^

I believe WWW is from the Philly area and thus the connections to Rip (Coatesville, PA) and Dajuan Wagner (Camden, NJ).

I never realized that The Family and Rip had a relationship. I had a college teammate that played for The Family and I don't think he ever mentioned it. Chris Douglas-Roberts played for The Family, make the connection to Memphis yourself.