Arn Tellem

Arn H. Tellem is a sports agent notable for his representation of basketball and baseball players. He is the principal of WMG Management, a part of the Wasserman Media Group headed by Casey Wasserman. Since 2009 he has written a weekly sports column for The Huffington Post. He has also written for The New York Times and USA Today.

Background

Tellem is a native of Philadelphia and an alumnus of Haverford College. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, at Ann Arbor, in 1979. He began his career as an attorney in the law firm then known as Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Tunney, where his mentors were noted sports attorneys Alan Rothenberg and Steve Greenberg (son of baseball legend Hank Greenberg). Tellem specialized in sports law and commercial litigation and became a partner in the firm. He began representing baseball players and also served six years (1982-1988) as general counsel of the San Diego (later Los Angeles) Clippers.

Tellem is certified as an agent by the Major League Baseball Players Association and the National Basketball Players Association and is a member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of California. He has served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Southern California School of Law and is frequently invited to lecture on sports law and agency at seminars and law schools throughout the country. Tellem serves on the board of directors of Playing for Peace and Seeds of Peace, organizations that bring together kids from conflict regions around the world to promote peace, tolerance and understanding among the youth in those regions.

Tellem is married to Nancy Tellem, president of CBS Paramount Television Network Entertainment Group.

Career as sports agent

As a player agent, Tellem has negotiated a number of lucrative and high profile contracts in for National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball players. As head of WMG Management, Tellem oversees the agency's athlete representation businesses and is also involved in the strategic direction of the company.

In 2006, Sports Business Journal named Tellem the Most Influential Agent in Sports and The Sporting News named Tellem "Most Influential Sports Agent." In 2004 and 2005, Tellem was the only NBA player agent named to The Sporting News "50 Most Influential People in Sports Business” and was recognized as the industry’s top agent by the magazine in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Basketball

As of the 2006 NBA draft, Tellem's firm had represented the most first round draft picks of any sports marketing and management company for seven straight years. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) Tellem and his team represented four lottery selections and six first round picks overall. In 2008 Tellem and his team represented six lottery selections including seven of the first fifteen picks, including Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Danilo Gallinari. Tellem’s firm negotiated contracts in the 2004, 2005 and 2006 off-seasons that paid their clients over $675 million. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) During the 2006 off-season, Tellem negotiated a 4-year, $60 million contract for Ben Wallace with the Chicago Bulls. In 2005, Tellem negotiated a 5-year, $67.4 million maximum-salary contract for Joe Johnson with the Atlanta Hawks in addition to maximum-salary contracts in 2004 for Tracy McGrady with the Houston Rockets (3-years, $60.4 million extension) and Pau Gasol with the Memphis Grizzlies (6-years, $86.4 million extension). In 2003, he negotiated a 7-year, $126 million maximum-salary contract for Jermaine O'Neal with the Indiana Pacers. In 2001, Tellem negotiated a maximum-salary contract for Antawn Jamison worth $79.2 million. In 2000, Tellem negotiated a 7-year, $93 million deal for Tracy McGrady with the Orlando Magic.

Baseball

Tellem's 5-year $55 million deal for Albert Belle in 1997 changed the salary structure in baseball more than any other deal at that time. In 1999, he negotiated a 5-year deal for Belle worth $65 million. Tellem also negotiated a 6-year, $88.5 million contract for Mike Mussina in 2001. In 2002, he negotiated Jason Giambi’s free agent deal for 7-years and $120 million, one of only 14 contracts in Major League History valued at over $100 million. In 2005, he negotiated the 4-year $52 million contract for Hideki Matsui, and in 2007, Tellem negotiated Chase Utley’s 7 year, $85 million arbitration contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Utley’s deal was the largest and longest contract ever given to a second baseman and the largest in Phillies history. This contract formed the cornerstone of the 2007 off-season in which Tellem and WMG negotiated a record $420 million in baseball salaries.