What I’m saying is that this guy is a macher, an imposing force that makes moves on behalf of his guy. “But wait,” you might be thinking. “Isn’t ‘his guy’ the Nike shareholder?” Yes, no, maybe. You see, Merritt pioneered a grey-zone business called “Sports Marketing,” an industry within an industry that plays by completely different rules. When a star signs with a sneaker company, they are connected with a marketing rep. For Kevin Durant, it was a genial man by the name of Chuck Terrell, who just got hired away by the Utah Jazz as part of their plan for attracting players who might not otherwise choose Utah. For Kobe Bryant, it was Nico Harrison, now general manager of the Dallas Mavericks.