LeBron James approved of people calling LSU freshman Ben Simmons the next LeBron.
No wonder why.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:LSU freshman star Ben Simmons, a possible No. 1 overall pick, plans to sign with the LeBron James-funded Klutch Sports agency for his pro representation, league sources told The Vertical.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports will serve as Simmons’ agent.
Simmons’ older sister, Emily Bush, has been a marketing/branding employee of Klutch since 2014. She is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Her hiring came shortly after James and Paul started recruiting Simmons as a potential future client.
Rich Paul has used his relationship with LeBron to build a successful agency, also recently drawing John Wall. Paul impressed with his handling of Eric Bledsoe’s and Tristan Thompson’s free agencies, getting extra money for his clients.
Paul’s firs job with Simmons will be convincing the team with the No. 1 pick that Simmons still deserves selection after a lackluster end to his season. Then, Paul will have to negotiate a major shoe deal and navigate a possible Olympic appearance.
All in all, it’s a pretty great job to land.