Athletes First Launches NBA Division After 25 Years in Football
Athletes First, one of the most powerful names in sports representation, is expanding beyond its football roots with a new basketball division. The 25-year-old agency, whose clients include Ravens running back Derrick Henry and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, has hired industry veterans John Noonan and Brandon James to build an NBA and NIL practice.
Patience Over Speed
David Mulugheta, the firm’s President of Team Sports and the top-ranked NFL agent on Forbes’ 2025 Most Powerful Sports Agents list, told Entrepreneur that Athletes First had chances to open a basketball arm before. It held off until it found people who fit the company culture. Mulugheta, who joined as an intern about 18 years ago, said the firm has been diversifying steadily. It now represents NFL and college coaches, front office executives and broadcasters, and agent Scott Gaffield already represents college basketball coaches.
The NIL era has also changed how agents work with athletes. When Mulugheta started in the business, agents couldn’t speak with student athletes until three years after high school. Now athletes can be signed at 15, 16 or 17, which means working closely with parents. He sees an upside in that: young clients can build habits around fitness, professionalism and money management long before they earn professional paychecks.
A Lower Barrier to the NBA
According to Mulugheta, the barrier to entry in basketball has dropped significantly. Building relationships earlier lets agents show their value to families sooner. He also pointed to the NBA’s more global reach compared with football, calling it a different business model.
Still, he stressed that the move isn’t a leap into unfamiliar territory. The fundamentals of good representation stay the same across sports: making athletes’ lives easier and helping them make the most of years of sacrifice. In his view, basketball is simply a new application of the business Athletes First has always run.