On the 154th episode of Listen In With KNN on Fox Sports 1340AM, host Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed NBA sports agent Anthony Johnson to the show.
Speaking of his journey, the Maryland native received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in Individual Studies and got his Masters in Business Administration from Morgan State University. He had dreams of being an agent since he was in high school.
“I’m a former athlete and had interest in playing sports collegiately but I wasn’t going to go pro. Being a sports agent is what peaked my interest when I felt like I could be in the industry but also potentially foster just as much money as the athletes simultaneously. That intrigued me a lot about becoming an agent,” Johnson said.
As one of two African American NBA sports agents located in Baltimore, he believes that representation matters. When Johnson was growing up, he didn’t have someone that looked like him to look up to on what it meant to be an agent. During his time at the University of Maryland, they didn’t have a Sports Management major. So as a result, Johnson pitched a proposal, created his own curriculum and wrote a 20-30 page thesis on the disparities of people of color within the sports sphere. That experience enticed his interest more in the field.
“I was able to look at the numbers as it pertains to management roles and how people of color are not in these roles in the business of sports. I initially wanted to be an NFL sports agent but during that time, the NFL had a prerequisite that you had to have a Masters degree in order to even sit for the examination as it pertains to becoming an agent. That pushed me towards getting my MBA because most guys in the sports executive roles had MBA backgrounds,” he said.
When Johnson certified as an agent, he looked at a few sports agencies that were interested in his services. Then he paired up with a couple of people to create an agency called the Renaissance Sports Group.
“It’s a small boutique sports agency with some really talented brothers who are really trying to create a movement as it pertains to athletic representation and being intentional about the caliber of players that we’re recruiting and the type of services we’re offering,” Johnson said.
The agency is also about building relationships with its clients and connectivity especially when it comes to African Americans.
“As an agent, you have to be careful that you aren’t pushing to side with me just because I’m Black. You should side with me because I’m qualified and I provide quality service. You have to thread that line strategically but I think people should sign with more agents of color not only from a connectivity perspective but we’re more likely to have each other’s interests at heart,” he said.
Johnson advises students who want to be a sports agent to keep their options open while building their brands and creating more opportunities.
“A lot of people don’t really understand the potential impact of an agent and how transcendent it really can be. If you are functioning in that role, you have the potential to transcend our communities. It’s a grind but if you’re successful doing it and you create that well-oiled machine, then you have the capacity to grow and flourish.”
