Rich Paul got started in his career as an NBA Superagent through his representation of LeBron James. However, Paul’s bond with LeBron wasn’t built overnight. He had to work for almost a decade to win over James.
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On the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Paul spoke about his enduring bond with his first and most prominent client. The Klutch Sports Group founder recalled that James had no real reason to trust him as an agent in the early years of their careers. However, the 43-year-old worked hard to build that relationship over time.
Eventually, ‘The King’ trusted Paul enough to join his Los Angeles-based agency.
“Trust is built over time. Today, we have got a whole tanker of trust. But when it first went down, it was a teaspoon of trust and I had to build on that every step of the way…”
“You can’t skip steps. I didn’t start representing him until my 9th year. Joined the league in ’03. I started representing him in 2012,” Paul added.
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This showcased Paul‘s strategic and patient approach to building their relationship. To put it in context, Leon Rose’s Creative Artists Agency managed James during his early professional years.
Paul saw this as an opportunity and began working under Rose in 2003, the same year ‘The King’ made his NBA debut.
This helped Paul gain valuable experience as an agent while laying the groundwork for a future partnership with James. He soon entered the 4x MVP’s inner circle, and the two grew closer. To Paul’s credit, he never lost sight of the bigger picture. He remained focused on his tasks and consistently prioritized work over personal enjoyment.
Eventually, Paul’s hard work paid off. James left Rose in 2012 to sign with Paul’s newly founded agency. Since then, Klutch Sports has never looked back.
Today, they represent over 200 athletes across various leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NFL, and MLB. The agency also reportedly negotiated over $2 billion in deals last year.
All this became a reality because Paul was willing to play the long game, setting a valuable example for sports entrepreneurs worldwide.
