FIBA Agent Steve James On His History, Qualities, Player Exposure and Being a Good Professional

Over the years I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of professional agents throughout my daily interaction. For the most part I would say they are a good group of people that genuinely like to help people. One name that has popped up over the years numerous times both in our office at Pro Player Video and through interaction with players is Steve James. He is a San Diego based FIBA certified agent that is really active marketing his players to teams. I caught up with Steve over this past week after developing a working relationship with him over the summer.

San Diego Based FIBA certified agent Steve James

James got his start working with players while he was still working with the U.S. Navy. “I was in Bahrain at the time, and I would attend some of the professional games out in town whenever I had the time. I caught up with some of the import players, and discovered many of them simply needed help. Whether it was sending e-mails to clubs, making phone calls, or collecting and distributing video. Sharing a love for basketball, I was eager to assist in any way I could,” says James.

A fire went off and a passion built which drew Steve to obtain his FIBA certification in 2009. He quickly learned it is not an easy business and there are hurdles along the way. “There are numerous obstacles and challenges associated with the business. However, I welcome that and take it as a personal challenge. I'll adopt some military mantra here and say that I do my best to adapt, improvise and overcome these challenges.”

When representing numerous players time management is an issue for many agents, but is an issue that James handles with grace. “There are only so many jobs available and hours in each work day. Working smart, efficiently, and maintaining good communication with my guys and club representatives is essential. From a player standpoint, I can appreciate the fact they want to work and want to know what's going on. I make it a point to update them as/when necessary whenever interest or hard offers surface.”

Good communication is only one of the qualities that James feels is important for an agent to have to be effective in this business. Qualities such as honesty, commitment, integrity, responsibility and flexibility were also cited by James as a foundation with players and teams that take days, weeks, or months to build.

This commitment to building quality relationships has allowed James to make connections to marketing players to every major overseas region of the world, including Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania.

Understanding team needs is also crucial when it comes to lining up clients with the right situation to turn the player-team relationship into a win-win scenario. “It's important to know the needs of the club (such as skill set and positional needs). Many teams are very specific in what they want…I also make it clear to club leadership that the player they have expressed interest in is hungry and eager to get started. Furthermore, he is a professional on and off the court.”

Conversely there are qualities that James looks for in the players he represents. He won’t represent just any player, but ones that balance a good skill set with a professional personality. “Obviously, they have to possess a variety of skill sets and preferably able to do one thing exceptionally well.” But it isn’t just on the court skill that sets players apart. “I can go find thousands of good basketball players, however, there's so much more to just putting the ball in the goal, dunking, dribbling, jumping out of the gym and shooting. I'm real big on character, attitude and professionalism. In this business, and that's exactly what it is — a business, players must be somewhat cognizant of the big picture schematics.”

Not every player has an easy road to professional basketball, and thousands of players never make it. James says that new players coming out of college should be humble and realistic when competing for a roster spot against numerous other players. “Contrary to popular belief, jobs are not as plentiful or lucrative as they were four or five years ago. I'd recommend any player that is serious about playing overseas to strongly consider any opportunity that comes their way, regardless of salary amount. If a player didn't play in a powerhouse conference (BCS conference) or wasn't a PIT (Portsmouth Invitational Tournament) participant, they are in no position to stick a price tag on themselves. Most rookies do not dictate their worth, the clubs do.”

Exposure Camps Are Necessary, But Need to Be Researched Before Investing

Exposure camps are a popular route for players to get noticed by scouts sitting in the stands and in a few instances (such as Pro Player Video’s camps) seen through live feeds online. James comments on exposure camps and being wise with your limited monetary resources to gain exposure. “Some research, however, should be done on these events as there are many "camps" that are gimmicks or money-makers. Being able to showcase skill sets in front of decision-makers is valuable, assuming of course the overseas club representatives are in attendance. Most players coming out of school don't have tons of cash to be tossing around on camp fees, airline tickets, lodging, food and other miscellaneous expenses.”

There is added value for both the player and the team for such events because teams can get to know the personality of a player and the player can build a bridge with club representatives. With so much money on the line being invested in a player it is important to develop that relationship before a contract is offered. The teams will do deep research on a player before offering limited team funds.

Besides exposure camps, video (highlight tapes and full games) is a very important resource to have available all the time for teams to access. James comments on this, “It's extremely important for players coming out of school to have a highlight link of their season posted online, and also at least two full games. THIS IS A MUST-HAVE. If a team is interested in a player's highlights, chances are they will want to see a full game, which will allow them to better assess a player's true abilities. Teams don't want to hear from agents or coaches or friends how good a player is; they want to SEE it with their own eyes and formulate their own opinion.”

If a player is fortunate enough to get a contract to a team, that doesn’t mean they can slack off. Being a hard worker, respectful of the team and their efforts on and off the court is vital. “I think the majority of club leadership really values a player that is the consummate professional...the player that attends all team functions, coaches kid’s basketball, or is a positive role model in the local community. Players must take advantage of any opportunity they are afforded. This will ultimately produce some separation in terms of character and professionalism and it certainly puts them in good standing.”

James continues that setting a good example on and off the court builds a trusting relationship that spreads to other teams. “Doing these types of team events are invaluable and can often lead to bigger and better things. Every player should make it a point to leave any club they go to on great terms. Team reps talk and it's very common for coaches to call coaches, managers to call managers to inquire about player’s abilities, attitude, etc.”

James wants players to take away that they should be open to any opportunity that comes their way; have a positive attitude on and off the court; have video resources available for teams to access; do research on exposure camps that may help you develop relationships and get noticed; and be a good professional once a team gives you the chance to showcase your skills. In short, be a good professional player in the same way Steve James is a good professional agent to those he represents and teams he works with.