(English)

Player Agents

A coach can also verify whether or not an agent is certified through the FIBA website.

A coach should be careful not to give advice to players in regards to any negotiations that they may be having with a club other than strongly recommending to the player that they do get advice!

FIBA has a standard player contract and the coach should advise any player that they can obtain a copy of that, as well as other information, through the FIBA website. In addition to the standard contract, FIBA has details of what a player contract should contain. Players and clubs do not have to use the standard contract, however players are well advised to ensure that any contract includes the various details recommended by FIBA.

A player having discussions with a player agent may be distracted – it can be an exciting time for the player but it can also take their focus away from the team. Particularly during tournaments the coach should ask that agents not contact players and ask the players to postpone any discussions until after the tournament.

FIBA has also prepared the following information for players regarding Player Agents, which coaches may provide to players that are considering retaining an agent:

How can an agent help?

As your career grows, you may experience greater demands on your time. More competitions, media appearances, speaking engagements and travel requirements can leave you with less time to develop and maintain your skills on-the-court.

An agent can help maximise your time by representing you in the following ways:

  • Understanding your value in the Basketball market and negotiating with team management to pay you what you are worth
  • Understanding your needs and goals to negotiate the length of your contract, salary and extra incentives that may be available to you
  • Identifying, pursuing and securing additional sources of income through endorsements, appearances, speaking events, etc.

Some agents can also provide legal and/or financial counselling, but there are some important things to consider before giving too much influence to one person.

When DO YOU need an agent?

The first step is to consider whether or not you actually need an agent’s services. As outlined above, agents can help negotiate on your behalf and identify additional sources of income, thereby giving you more time to focus on your on-court performance.

But if your career is not at a level where sponsorship deals and complex contract negotiations are interfering with your performance, then you may prefer not to make the financial investment of an agent’s services.

To help identify your needs, ask yourself the following questions – if you answer yes to all or most of them, then working with an agent may be a good choice:

  • Could I use help negotiating my contract/ salary with my current team (or am I looking for a new team)?
  • Do off-court commitments (e.g. public appearances, travel, etc.) put demands on my time for training, practice, and developing my on-court performance?
  • Do I have (or am I looking to gain) sponsorship agreements?
  • Do I have an interest in additional sources of income related to my career (e.g. endorsements, speaking tours, etc.)?
  • Is my career at a level where I need help managing all the details that come with making more money, having more opportunities, and being contacted for various off-court engagements?

There is a complete handbook which you may like to download (for free) from the FIBA website.