Sports agent Rich Paul has made a name for himself with his Klutch Sports Group and helping guide the careers of star athletes like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Eric Bledsoe, John Wall, Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, and Lonzo Ball just to name a few.
Paul recently stopped by “The Colin Cowherd Podcast” and discussed former Philadelphia 76er Allen Iverson’s impact on the sports world and how he could’ve turned the Virginia baller’s brand into a billion-dollar empire if the timing had been right. Iverson is six years older than Paul who didn’t begin his trek into sports management until around 2003.
“Allen Iverson’s impact post-Michael Jordan was second-to-none … Give me Allen Iverson leaving Georgetown, coming into the league, and today Allen Iverson will have a billion-dollar brand,” Paul explained on the podcast.
“Today Allen Iverson would be positioned much different[ly]. Still, being a Hall of Famer – I’m not talking about what he did on the floor, because obviously, I mean, we can’t even talk about that. He’s just a one-of-a-kind person and his impact, his ability, what he could’ve done in the community even though he has never done anything [just] for show, and he’s helped so many people. But the business to be built with Allen Iverson … would’ve been still sustainable today. I think would’ve been neck-and-neck with the ‘Black Cat’ and MJ,” he added.
According to Forbes, Jordan is worth $1.6 billion. Iverson has had financial issues in the past but luckily his deal with Reebok came with a preventive clause to help keep him from going broke. Iverson signed a 10-year, $50-million deal with Reebok after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Sixers in 1996. He still receives $800,000 annually from the brand as part of a lifetime endorsement contract and will have access to a $32-million trust fund when he turns 55 in 2030.
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