With Weaver in place, the Pistons could have a more traditional structure for the first time since 2018, with plenty of input from the other involved parties. It meant making room for Weaver’s expertise and agreeing to work collaboratively to make it work. “They all had reasons not to like this, because we’re bringing in a very powerful person in Troy,” Gores said. “Troy’s got a lot of responsibility and power in this team. I’m just really happy that he’s going to leverage all the resources, but at the end of the day, I think Troy will work with Ed on a day-to-day basis and coach, and as things bubble up that need Arn and I, obviously we’ll, you know, we’ll step in there.”
Tag: Arn Tellem
Rod Beard: #Pistons name Mike Zavodsky, …
Stefanski will be working with Pistons …
Stefanski will be working with Pistons and Palace Sports vice chairman Arn Tellem on the process to hire a GM, sources said. The new GM will work closely with Stefanski and coach Dwane Casey on personnel matters. Stefanski and Casey were hired in 2018.
The origin of former super agent Arn …
The origin of former super agent Arn Tellem’s reputation as a formidable contract negotiator for hundreds of baseball and basketball players began in the aisles of a Philadelphia department store in the early 1970s. That’s when he spent his summers selling air conditioners at Stern’s, and the teenaged Tellem practiced the art of negotiation. And during those sweltering Philly summers, he out-sold his older colleagues, he said, at the store that had been in his stepfather’s family for more than a century.
How did he do it? Not by making a sales …
How did he do it? Not by making a sales pitch in the traditional manner but presenting it as a way to help solve a family’s problem – how to cool off a scorching apartment or house, and which General Electric, Westinghouse, Frigidaire, Maytag or Philco unit they could afford. “To me, being able to sell may be, as my father said, the most important quality in business and it has served me well since,” Tellem said. “I was able to understand the person and what they’re looking for. I was able, through that connection, to find a way to make a deal that served both sides. That’s what gave me credibility. I built credibility and trust in a short moment. That was critical to making a sale.”
He worked to establish a rapport and …
He worked to establish a rapport and that helped him sell window units in the 1970s and later would help him amass billions of dollars for baseball and basketball clients (and accumulate a few bucks of his own via his percentage fee from contracts and endorsement deals). “That skill and the ability to connect to any background has probably been the most useful skill I have been able to call upon throughout my career,” Tellem said.
If he forgot how that exercise went, he …
If he forgot how that exercise went, he got a reminder in 2014. Jordan was in Los Angeles and dinner with Armstrong was arranged. Armstrong got to the restaurant and found a third seat at the table, asked Jordan if a guest was coming and was told that Bryant would be joining them for the meal. Armstrong and Bryant knew each other; they shared an agent, Arn Tellem, at one time. Bryant arrived and before long, he and Jordan were dissecting every nuance of each other’s game. In the end, they decided that Jordan would have a slight edge because his hands were bigger than Bryant’s. “They were playing a virtual game of 1-on-1 at dinner,” Armstrong said. “I just sat there and listened to them talk about the love they had for the game. They were so sophisticated; they were talking about footwork, how they conditioned themselves, how they would box out. The detail that they had, the respect that they had for the game … I wish I could have seen them play in their prime.”
As players and various team personnel …
As players and various team personnel underwent self-quarantine, the team began to seek out ways it could aid the fight against the pandemic. Since the NBA’s suspension, the Pistons have been in contact with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Detroit mayor Mike Duggan, health officials and various philanthropic groups to receive guidance on how to proceed.
It has led to the team performing a …
It has led to the team performing a number of donations and charitable acts around Detroit. And as the NBA continues to work toward finishing the 2019-20 season, the Pistons are hopeful they can continue to find ways to help the city as everyone navigates the pandemic. “It’s a challenging time, but it’s been incredibly inspiring to see how this community is coming together to see companies, organizations and people care so much about Detroit and our community’s well-being,” Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem said told the Free Press.
Arn Tellem said that in his more than …
Arn Tellem said that in his more than 30 years as a sports agent and five years in the Pistons front office, he has never faced a more difficult challenge. “I’ve experienced long lockouts as an agent,” he said. “I’ve experienced the economic downturns. That definitely had an impact on our business. We went through the tragedy of 9/11, which had an impact. But nothing like this.”