Following his NBA career, Jay Williams has parlayed his knowledge of basketball and business to become a successful sports business entrepreneur and broadcaster. ?(Getty Images)
Following a devastating motorcycle accident that cut short a promising NBA career, Jay Williams had a choice. He could spend the rest of his life regretting his decision and use it as a crutch to drag himself through life seeking pity for his past mistakes, or he could take his experiences and use it to fuel him to bigger and better things outside the game of basketball. Williams chose the latter, and in just a few short years has gone from a poster child?of shortsightedness to a shining example of ?triumphing over adversity.
While the former All-American and #2 overall draft pick could no long play basketball, fortunately for Williams, his ball handling skills were second only to his hustle and boldness off the court.?Earning a bachelor?s degree in sociology, ?he was the first athlete from Duke University to graduate in just three years. Handsome and articulate, Williams parlayed his knowledge of the game to become a sports analyst with CBS CBS College Sports Network, but was soon recruited by ESPN ESPN where he has become one of the networks leading college basketball commentators.
As he worked on his broadcasting career, Williams also spent time ?in the athlete representation business, where he became disillusioned by the unethical behavior that he saw among many other agents. While a conflict of moral values and ethical ideals quickly made that side of the business lose its appeal, Williams was able to develop valuable contacts throughout the branding world during his stint in the business, eventually starting his own brand consulting agency, JW Group and working with clients that included?Bank of America and Microsoft.
This week, Williams took the next step towards building a sports business empire off the hardwood by becoming a Managing Partner of Leverage Agency, one of the industries leading sports and entertainment marketing firms. Leverage?s staff has sold some $100 million in sponsorship since opening in 2005, and the agency represents some of the largest and most celebrated sports and entertainment properties in the world, including: the Harlem GlobeTrotters, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Top Rank Boxing, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), The Ivy League, and?World Series of Beach Volleyball.
Leverage was founded by Ben Sturner, a graduate of Chapel Hill High School in North Carolina and whose parents worked at Duke University. Sturner and Williams friendship was forged during Williams days helping lead the Blue Devils to the NCAA national championship.
?Under Ben?s leadership, Leverage is emerging as a top player in the sports and entertainment marketing industry in the US and globally,? said Williams. ?I?m thrilled to join the team, and to work with his talented staff to grow our revenue streams and bring new opportunities to clients. I?ve built some tremendous contacts throughout the brand and entertainment world over the last several years, and I?m going to help parlay them to take the agency to the highest levels of this industry. ?
Williams agency, JW Group, will merge into Leverage, bringing along clients such as Under Armour and JBL Audio. Williams will work out of ?Leverage?s New York and Los Angeles offices, helping?enhance the the company?s sports and entertainment portfolios as well as opening up new channels of business.
?I?ve known Jay for a long time, and have always respected his leadership skills, positive outlook, and strong business acumen,? said Ben Sturner, CEO and Founder of Leverage Agency. ?Along with his entrepreneurial spirit and passion, Jay?s ability to create deep relationships and make people feel comfortable while closing a major deal is simply invaluable.?
At just 31 years of age, Jay Williams has already accomplished more than many will in a lifetime. Williams says he leads his life impressive is that after suffering so much, he has become the ultimate proof that the setbacks that we must navigate in both business and life only make us stronger in the end.
For Williams, the future shines brighter than ever before.
Jason Belzer?is Founder of?GAME, Inc.?and?CSA, and a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Sports Law?at Rutgers University. Follow him on Twitter?@JasonBelzer
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