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Assist is an experienced, personal service driven basketball representation firm providing comprehensive, high-quality services for select clients worldwide. Each client's careers and needs are equally important to our team. We pride ourselves on being accessible at all times to assist our clients; immediately and professionally.

Consequently, we have built strong client and family relationships extending beyond basketball often lasting a lifetime. We have unsurpassed practical experience in advising, counseling and mentoring clients at various stages of their professional lives: teenagers embarking on a new professional basketball career, veterans in their prime and players in their twilight years contemplating and planning their next move.

pre-draft preparation

Assist led the way in the industry by creating pre-draft strength and conditioning and basketball skills training programs for our draft eligible clients. We also were innovative in providing our clients with NBA mock-interview and media training. Our company has a proven track record of preparing and positioning our rookie clients so as to maximize their short and long-term earnings potential. Whether it was enabling Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups to be drafted at number 5 and 3, respectively, when the general consensus at the time was that they would be drafted much later, or, positioning Stephon Marbury in order for him to play with his "friend" KG and the Minnesota Timberwolves... Assist has consistently been artful in its handling of the draft process on behalf of its clients. Moreover, our unsurpassed relationships and connections around the league have enabled us to obtain accurate information which is so vital in properly advising our clients and their families.

contract negotiation

Over the past 30 years Eric Fleisher has negotiated several hundred NBA contracts for players of all levels, from superstars like Kevin Garnett and James Worthy to solid starters like Sherman Douglas and Orlando Woolridge to undrafted rookies looking to catch on with a team. In all, Eric has negotiated approximately one billion dollars in contracts on behalf of his clients including Kevin Garnett’s $126 million bank-breaking deal in 1997 which was the largest contract in the history of professional sports. At the age of only 20 Garnett’s contract was for more than the total value of the Minnesota Timberwolves club. The deal “triggered” the owners lock-out in 1998 and was a major reason behind the owners insisting on maximum salary limits in the ensuing labor agreement. In 1993, Eric negotiated a fully guaranteed 10 year contract (including a player opt-out after 3 years) totaling around $17 million on behalf of a rookie client which was reportedly the impetus for the league demanding in the subsequent Collective Bargaining Agreement a rookie wage scale with a maximum 3 year term. During the period from 1990-95, prior to the rookie scale taking effect, Eric negotiated on behalf of his 1st round rookie clients an unprecedented 135% increase over the prior year’s contracts at the same draft positions. Put into context, his results were 10 times greater than the average increase for all players and 4 times greater than any other agent! Eric has negotiated contracts with every club in the league and possesses a thorough knowledge of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, salary cap and luxury tax. This combined with his vast experience, limited number of contracts he’s negotiating at any given time-enabling him to focus on each client-and high level relationships with top international clubs (providing real leverage when needed) has enabled Eric to consistently negotiate well above market, precedent-setting deals on behalf of his clients.

international

In addition to representing NBA players, Assist manages the careers of top American and international players competing around the world. Our clients are Serbian, Polish, Venezuelan, Nigerian, Russian, French…. We have developed contacts and relationships with international clubs, coaches and General Managers who value our honesty, professionalism and unsurpassed knowledge of the intracies of the international game. Our current clients are not only top players but quality people following in the tradition of our former clients who are much revered in Europe for their many Championships and character; such as Ken Barlow, Bob McAdoo, Thurl Bailey, Victor Alexander, Corey Gaines, Michael Cooper, Orlando Woolridge and many others. Playing professionally abroad can be challenging, both on and off the court. A thorough knowledge of the leagues, clubs, culture, local laws and customs can be invaluable to a player’s success. Assist and our many long-term very well respected partners worldwide are instrumental in helping our clients navigate the international basketball landscape in order to maximize their earning potential. We are actively involved in our clients’ basketball careers and everyday lives providing them with the personal attention they deserve and often need. Basketball has truly become a global game and more and more NBA caliber players are playing overseas; such as Assist clients Bo McCalebb (Siena, Italy) and Lawrence Roberts (Rytas, Lithuania). Eric Fleisher was actively involved back in the late 80’s and early 90’s in assisting the initial wave of international players to come to the NBA; including Vlade Divac, Sarunas Marculionis, Alexander Volkov and Dino Radja. He also paved the way for several NBA players who had been playing internationally to return to the NBA with unprecedented deals such as Dean Garrett, Victor Alexander, Timothy Kempton, Corey Gaines, Thurl Bailey, Antoine Carr etc.

marketing

Assist utilizes our wide range of contacts and relationships in the advertising and promotions world to aggressively pursue local, regional, national and international marketing opportunities on behalf of our clients. Depending on each client’s desires, professional stature and their NBA or international club, Assist structures a marketing plan which may include consumer product television and print endorsement deals, athletic shoe deal, trading card, TV/radio show, automobile, appearances, apparel, basketball equipment, basketball camp, media appearances and charitable endeavors. Our client’s have been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN-SI, ESPN, TNT, BET, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Rome is Burning, NBA Inside Stuff, Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine, Sporting News, Slam, Maxim, NBA.com, ESPN.com, several motion pictures and dramatic television shows.  Several of our higher profile clients have had major “signature” shoe and apparel deals with Nike, And 1, Reebok, Pony, Karl Kani, First Down and Skechers and others endorsement deals with New Balance, Converse, Adidas, DKNY, Monde, Perry Ellis, Tommy Hilfiger, Mecca etc. Our clients have done trading card deals with Topps, Upper Deck, Signature, Scoreboard, Fleer and Press Pass. We have also negotiated numerous national and worldwide endorsement deals on behalf of our clients with EA Sports, Pepsi, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Churches, Sheraton, Club Med, Schick, Edge, Sega, Wheaties, Met-RX, Eastman Kodak, Taco Bell,  Frito-Lay, Campbell’s Soup, Independence Bank …

Financial

• Assistance in securing lines of credit, loans for business or personal use
• Selection of experienced financial advisor and structuring an equitable management agreement between the parties
• Coordination with financial advisor on budgeting, tax and other financial matters
• Assistance in negotiating purchase or lease of automobile, home or other expensive acquisitions
• Insurance planning for disability, life and property
• Post-career planning and counseling