Reel: The live gate for Holyfield-Tyson II sold out in days; a crowd of 16,331 paid a record $14.2 million to see the fight in person, making it the most watched one-day event in sports history.”
Bill A. Duffy, President, BDA Sports Management, 44: “Pulling in a $65 million contract for Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns was just a day on the job for Duffy. A former player for the Denver Nuggets, Duffy treks the globe for top athletes, including 20 European players. He even managed to acquire Yao Ming from the Chinese Basketball Association. Duffy’s client list, which includes Jay Williams and Anthony Carter, reads like a who’s who in professional basketball. He was honored as Agent of the Year in 1998 and 2002 by The Black Sports Agents Association. Highlight Reel: Duffy has signed nine first-round NBA draft picks, including Carmelo Anthony, which yielded the Nuggets forward more than $30 million in endorsements.”
C. Lamont Smith, President & CEO, All Pro Sports and Entertainment Inc., 48: “With an arsenal of more than 50 noteworthy clients, Smith is one of sports’ most respected agents-black or white. In 2000, he negotiated a $42 million deal for running back Eddie George, making George the highest paid athlete in that position. Smith also helped Trevor Pryce become the highest paid defensive player with a $60 million deal. His other clients include Pro-Bowler Jerome Bettis. A tru
e entrepreneur, Smith recently leveraged his A-list client roster by launching Elete Couture, a sportswear company that features prominent athletes he represents. Highlight Reel: Smith is widely known to be the first black sports agent to represent big-name NFL players.”
Aaron Goodwin, CEO, Goodwin Sports Management, 44: “A giant in the world of sports agents, Goodwin has negotiated more than $800 million in contracts for his clients. He handles sports royalty such as Damon Stoudamire, Shareef Adbur-Rahim, and Jamal Crawford. Goodwin is a former partner of Bill Duffy but now runs Goodwin Sports Management with his twin brother, Eric. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a member of the National Basketball Players Association Advisory Board. Highlight Reel: Goodwin was responsible for signing NBA phenom LeBron James in 2003 and negotiating some $135 million in endorsements for the Cavs forward.”
Athletes
Tiger Woods, Golf, Superstar, 29: “Woods breathed new life into the sport of golf by opening it to an entirely new audience when he became the first ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time. He’s not even 30 years old yet and already Woods has won some 55 tournaments and earned nearly $56 million. He was selected Player of the Year six times by the PGA Tour, the PGA of America, and the Golf Writers Association of America. Though he’s given up the No. 1 ranking to Vijay Singh, Woods remains one of the highest paid celebrity endorsers with multimillion-dollar deals from Nike, Titleist, and American Express. Highlight Reel: Woods’ nine PGA Tour victories in 2000 equaled the fifth highest total ever. Woods’