NBA agent David Falk tries to sell his book, warn players
Falk, if you don't know, is an arrogant, excessively blunt, ruthless and willful mega-agent. And that is just what he says about himself. But usually he's the smartest guy in the room, which is why his advice right about now ought to carry some weight. And there's plenty of it matched with anecdotes in his recently released book titled "The Bald Truth," a double entendre referring to his style and hairless dome.
Mostly known for his representation of Michael Jordan and his help creating the Air Jordan brand, Falk has become one of the wealthiest agents in sports history for being innovative in contracts and for using a mixture of long-range perspective and leverage to maximize value.
His role in the business has been reduced over the past decade, but he's gotten a fair amount of attention lately doing interviews to promote the book and spreading a fair amount of doom about the labor situation developing in the NBA with the recent changes in the economy.
It has gotten to the point that NBA Commissioner David Stern, whom Falk has had myriad battles with over the years but is given a tremendous amount of love in the 370 pages in the book, came out in an interview last week to dismiss some of the scenarios.
But whether or not the work turns out to be a cautionary tale or not, the read is remarkable even if you're not a lawyer or looking to brush up on negotiating tactics.
The Knicks didn't want to do it, but then Falk brought out the brochure they had sent out to season-ticket holders with Ewing on the cover. Falk knew the Knicks had already sold Ewing before buying him, and therefore, he had all the leverage. Or, as Falk writes, the hammer.
