Rose blossoming
as stars' go-to guy
S. Jersey lawyer-turned-NBA agent traded one court for another.
By Marc Narducci
Inquirer Staff Writer
Back before he was one of
the hottest agents in the NBA - before he represented Allen Iverson
and LeBron James and some of the top college players entering tomorrow's
NBA draft - Cherry Hill's Leon Rose did whatever it took just to become
a real-life NBA player representative.
"Early in my career,
he would wake up at 6:45 a.m. and meet me at Cherry Hill East every
morning and rebound for me while I shot," said Rick Brunson, the
Temple University star who became Rose's first full-time client in 1995.
"How many agents would do that? But that's how bad he wanted me
to make it."
Rose, 45, is the agent for
Italy's Andrea Bargnani, projected to be selected among the top five
picks in the draft, and Mardy Collins, an expected first-round selection.
Not bad for the 1979 Cherry Hill East graduate who seemed to have put
his NBA dreams behind him while working as a trial lawyer in the mid-1990s.
Rose had been a two-year
starting point guard in high school and spent four years as a reserve
at Dickinson College. He became an assistant to his Cherry Hill East
head coach John Valore for three seasons while attending law school.
Then, while serving as an assistant Camden County prosecutor, he was
an assistant coach for two seasons at Rutgers-Camden under the late
Pony Wilson.
"I really wanted to
coach and loved it," he said. Yet the practicality of making a
living steered Rose into becoming a trial lawyer.
In 1994 he got his first
taste of the basketball business. Bill Simmons, uncle of former La Salle
star Lionel Simmons, asked Rose to help negotiate Simmons' second NBA
contract with the Sacramento Kings. Simmons received a five-year $16
million deal.
"From that I said, 'Wow,
this is the perfect mixture of law and being involved in the next level
of somebody's life,' " Rose said recently from his Pennsauken office.
He also stayed close with
Valore - Rose became godfather to Valore's son as a high school senior
- and that led to the next step. Valore was a close friend of the late
Jim Maloney, a former Temple assistant coach, and Rose frequently attended
games. That helped bring Brunson, an undrafted free agent in 1995, to
Rose.
"I would call my agent
and couldn't get him to call me back," said Brunson, who has played
for eight teams in his nine NBA seasons. "That's when I walked
into Leon's office and asked if he would represent me."
Rose made no promises to
Brunson, only that he would work his hardest for his client, something
that Brunson realized very quickly. It took Brunson three years to make
it to the NBA.
Rose made connections with
an Australian scout who was attending the 76ers training camp in 1995
when Brunson was cut the day before the regular season. Rose developed
ties in Australia and eventually represented Chris Anstey, a 1997 first-round
pick of Portland who was traded to Dallas in a draft-day trade. Rose
still represents six players from Australia."I thought this is
a nice niche to practice law and represent players in Australia,"
Rose said. "I was very happy."
Rose's next break came when
Aaron McKie and Eddie Jones chose Rose to represent them, after both
fired their original agent, Sal DiFazio, who was embroiled in legal
controversy with many of his clients. Under Rose, Jones would eventually
sign a seven-year $86 million deal with Miami as part of a sign-and-trade
deal with Charlotte in August 2000. The next year McKie signed a seven-year,
$38.5 million contract with the Sixers.
"Leon has always been
accessible for me, whether it's midnight or 9 a.m." said McKie,
a Los Angeles Lakers guard who once played for Temple and the Sixers.
"He is informative and honest with you, and at this stage of my
career we have developed a good friendship."
Rose's reputation was building.
Iverson, who had been without an agent for two years after severing
ties with David Falk, hired Rose in 2002.
"Allen saw that Leon
was always around me and how dedicated he was, and I know that had to
make an impression on him," McKie said.
Rose had become acquainted
with Cleveland superstar James while representing two of his former
Cavaliers teammates, Camden's Dajuan Wagner and center DeSagana Diop,
now with the Dallas Mavericks. James hired Rose last year after severing
ties with his original agent Aaron Goodwin.
And they kept coming. Coatesville's
Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons hired Rose after going through two
other agents. Rose got Hamilton a seven-year, $64 million contract.
After last season New York Knicks center Eddy Curry hired Rose, who
negotiated a six-year, $60 million contract in a sign and trade between
the Chicago Bulls and the Knicks. Few felt that Curry, who was sidelined
for the last month of the 2004-05 season and the playoffs because of
a heart arrhythmia, would be able to secure such a big contract.
Rose has earned a reputation
for getting deals done and negotiating fairly with teams.
"For me, he is extremely honest, very straightforward," said
New Jersey Nets general manager Ed Stefanski. "His take and scouting
report on his players is very realistic, which is refreshing."
In 2003 Rose hired Andre
Buck as an associate to help with the increased workload.
Despite all his success, Rose remains grounded, humbled by his early
days, when his phone calls often went unreturned.
"You never forget the days when people wouldn't talk to you,"
he said. "It's certainly nice to get my calls returned now."
