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Old pro finds new game

FAYETTEVILLE — Mike Conley is in a new line of work, and it’s one he has been training for his entire life.

Conley, a nine-time NCAA track and field national champion during his career at Arkansas, is a sports agent and has signed some impressive clients, including NBA first overall pick Greg Oden and Conley’s son, fourth overall pick Mike Conley Jr.

Conley was licensed by the NBA after Greg Oden, Conley and Daequan Cook — Ohio State teammates whom Conley coached in summer leagues years before — declared for the NBA Draft as freshmen.

Acting as an agent is nothing new for Conley. He negotiated his own contracts and athletic shoe deals when he was one of the top triple jumpers in the world, winning Olympic silver and gold medals in the 1990 s. After his jumping career ended, Conley went to work for USA Track and Field and wrote the organization’s manual on agents.

It seems the three former Buckeyes couldn’t have picked a more experienced rookie agent.

"Regardless of the sport, it was tougher for me as a track athlete than it would be for a basketball player or a football player," Conley said. "I know the pitfalls that can happen when you’re out there on your own, when you’re judged year to year and your income can be gone.

"I know a little bit about basketball, but I know a lot about winning and losing."

Conley’s role with his NBA players hasn’t demanded incredible negotiating skills for marathon meetings with teams’ general managers. The NBA collective bargaining agreement has a fixed pay scale for rookies depending on when they are selected.

Contracts are guaranteed for two years and clubs have options for the next three years. Greg Oden signed with Portland for a guaranteed $ 8 million for two years, and Conley Jr. signed with Memphis for $ 5. 8 million for two years. Over five years, Greg Oden’s contract could be worth $ 25. 5 million and Conley’s worth $ 18. 2 million.

Neither figure has anything to do with hard-ball tactics or threats of holdouts.

Conley had to do little negotiating for his clients, and he turned the money matters over to Signature Bank of Arkansas. Signature Bank Chairman Gary Head has known Conley since their days together at Arkansas, and Head has handled Conley’s personal investments since he turned pro.

Conley and his clients met with Head and discussed a conservative investment portfolio. Head said high-profile athletes like Greg Oden and Conley Jr. would never have considered his bank for their investments without the presence of Conley Sr.

"Here’s what Mike does: The parts of this business that Mike doesn’t know, he gets with people he trusts," Head said. "I’ve always taken care of him, and we’ve been blessed with all three of those boys’ business

They said, "Look, if you’re good enough for him, you’re good enough for us."

Conley said he has no problem acting as a middleman for his clients. He also has partnered with a marketing company, Bill Duffy and Associates, to handle lucrative endorsement possibilities for the players, especially Greg Oden.

"I’m a man who knows his limitations," Conley said. "I want those people around me who are better than me at what they do."

Arkansas track assistant Dick Booth said Conley was always ahead of the game as an athlete.

"He’s a very savvy guy just dealing with sports people," Booth said. "He knows what’s going on. He has always had a good sense of that, he’s very street wise. He saw how the game was played."

Conley said his work as an agent has been more fatherly in the early going, and not just with his son. He said he hasn’t billed any of his clients yet because he is focused on putting them with the right people, whether it is in investments, commercials or personal appearances.

"Me and Greg have a relationship that is like father and son and, obviously, me and Mike are father and son," Conley said. "That part is easy, but I had to convince the parents that this was a good move for their sons.

"It’s not, ‘ Do Mike Conley a favor because you know him.’ I promised them, since Greg and Little Mike were 12, that I would put them in the best situation."

Greg Oden’s mother has said the family never considered another agent once they learned Conley was becoming one. For Conley Jr., choosing his dad wasn’t so cut and dried.

Mom had a say, too.

Regina Rene Conley made her oldest son look around and research other agents.

"We had to make sure he knew what he was doing before we went with him," Conley Jr. said. "He has been through it all."

Conley said it became a running joke when he was asked about signing his son as a client.

"Everyone else had an agent and [Conley Jr. ] said, ‘Mom, why do I still not have an agent ?’" Conley said. “People asked if it was a no-brainer, me signing my son, and I said, ‘No, I’m still in negotiations with his mom.’

" Trust me, it’s easy satisfying Michael. The hard part is making sure mom feels son is being taken care of."

Read more at www.nwanews.com

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