Who is here to help advance my career?
Key Learnings
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Take the decision to work with an agent very seriously because you are deciding to let someone act on your behalf.
Ensure your agent has certification from FIBA to work within International basketball as an agent.
Use different representatives (agent, financial advisor, and lawyer) for different parts of your personal and professional affairs.
Remember that the reputation you build at the early stages of your career will impact how marketable you are when you are playing at higher levels.
Build good relationships with your sponsors to increase the chances of renewing your contract.
A Player's mentor looks after the player’s best interests and personal development only.
A Players’ Mentor will help you develop your career and help you planning and identifying transitions.
Family plays a paramount role in the development of a player; however, they do not understand the specificities of the game, and, most of the time, they will not understand what is happening in your head.
Parents are primarily responsible for the overall evolution of the athlete as a person.

Why is it important to have sponsors?

Sponsorship is a mutually beneficial relationship between sponsor and recipient. On the one hand, you will get money, goods, or any other material. On the other hand, your sponsor will get exposure that can lead to increased sales or brand awareness.

Many players may not be at a level where sponsorship is a realistic opportunity. However, all players seek to improve their performance and level of play over the course of their career. And with those improvements, greater opportunities may come to work with sponsors. Therefore, keep these ideas and strategies in mind, even if endorsement deals are not currently a part of your career. The truth is, the reputation you build at the early stages of your career will impact how marketable you are when you are playing at higher levels.

Finally, it is worth noting that sponsorship agreements are often undervalued early in an athlete’s career. Do not worry too much about that. Early deals can be invaluable learning experiences for bigger deals in the future. As such, you may want to carefully consider entering any long-term deals early on in your career, instead keep the option open for renegotiating should your value increase quickly.