William Wesley
William "Wes" Wesley (b. August 14 1964 in Camden, New Jersey) is a noted figure around the National Basketball Association.
He is associated with many of the league's most prominent players, including Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Wesley, who is also known as "Worldwide Wes" or simply "Wes" (no last name), is a longtime client of Iverson and James's agent, the Philadelphia attorney Leon Rose.[1]
Early years
Wesley played high school basketball for Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Playing for rival Camden High School was Milt Wagner, who later went on to the University of Louisville and the NBA. Wagner claims[2] that Wesley became his friend and confidant during high school, and that he introduced Wesley to Jordan, among other pro basketball luminaries.
Around the same time, Leon Rose played basketball for nearby Cherry Hill High School East in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey. It is not known if the two knew each other then, though in 2005 Rose acknowledged having been Wesley's attorney "for 21 years."[2]
In the early 1980s, Wesley worked as a salesperson at Pro Shoe, a sporting goods company, specializing in high-end basketball shoes, across the street from the Cherry Hill Mall. Wesley has also been reported as having owned a shoe store. More to follow.
Controversy
In 1997, Wesley, acting as Dennis Rodman's promoter, was involved in an altercation at a Rodman event near Philadelphia, in which he allegedly roughed up a photographer. No charges were filed. Wesley was known as The Beast of the Best growing up.
Wesley also controversially has ties with the Memphis basketball program, and is known to have close ties with several recruits who later committed and played for Memphis including Milt Wagner's son DaJuan Wagner, Derrick Rose, and Tyreke Evans. [3] Many have called for an NCAA investigation into this matter, but to date no action has been taken.
Wesley has also been accused among those in the recruiting industry as a possible runner for agents.
Involvement with current players
Wesley is involved with The Family, a Detroit-area youth basketball team supported by Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton,[4] and counts among his closest friends Hamilton, Iverson, and Dajuan Wagner,[4] the son of Milt Wagner and a first-round pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. All are clients of Rose.
Wesley was also very visible in the months leading up to LeBron James' defection from agent Aaron Goodwin.[4] Goodwin, who signed James out of high school, had helped him earn a lucrative contract with Nike. James signed with Rose during the summer of 2005.
Notes and references
- ^ French, Alex (August 2007). "IS THIS THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN SPORTS". GQ. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
{{cite news}}: More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ a b Girard, Fred (May 29, 2005). "Who is basketball mystery man Wes Wesley?". Detroit News. Retrieved 2006-01-20.
{{cite news}}: More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help) - ^ http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/getting-ready-for-tip-off/
- ^ a b c Windhorst, Brian (June 5, 2005). "Mystery man behind scenes". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 2006-01-20.
{{cite news}}: More than one of|author=and|last=specified (help)
External links
- TrueHoop.com William Wesley Section - A collection of theories & articles about William Wesley hosted on TrueHoop.
- 2001 New York Times Magazine Article - Feature on Dajuan Wagner that also prominently mentions Wesley.
- 2008 New York Times Article On Wesley