Who is Mr. Graham?.
Founder and CEO Daryl Graham is a certified player agent. Over the last decade, he has successfully placed top preforming basketball players in both FIBA and the NBA. He merges his deep knowledge of the game, background in business, and years of experience to create a customized career plan for every client he recruits and represents.
Graham founded Global Artists Media and Entertainment or G.A.M.E, a full-service boutique agency, in 2014. Four years later, he was recruited by Octagon Sports and Entertainment Agency, where he worked successfully as Head of International Scouting and Recruiting. In 2018, he opted to shift his focus back to G.A.M.E. so that he could zero in on building a brand reflective of his own unique experience and approach.
Graham, prides himself on valuing character as much as ability. His clients are highly skilled on the court, and hold themselves to a high moral standard off the court. This approach allows him to maintain a quality over quantity business model. He chooses to keep his client roster small enough to give one-on one attention well beyond contract negations. At G.A.M.E., athletes can expect effective career management, skill development, marketing and media management, and overall mentorship.
Graham looks at the long-term picture when it comes to representation. He seeks to help his clients build and maintain solid careers through growth, excellence, and consistent commitment to the game of basketball.
Graham’s background includes seven years with the United States Airforce. Born into a military family, he has travelled the world. He calls New York City home, although his work keeps him living out of a suitcase more often than not. Graham completed a Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication at Fordham University. His love for basketball was born long before he remembers. In addition to G.A.M.E, Graham also works within the spaces of entertainment and commercial real estate. You might catch him lending his professional expertise as an agent on radio, and podcasts.
Recently, our Mark Williams spoke to Mr. Graham and asked him a question that has become a trending topic as of late.
Q. | “In light of the new NCAA rules surrounding NIL deals where student-athletes can have relationships with agents - How has the landscape changed for boutique agencies such as G.A.M.E or has it been business as usual”?
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A. | "The landscape has changed immensely. Due to Overtime Elite and NIL there’s been a complete shift to business being conducted way earlier than usual. Marketing deals are fair game now for high school kids. the relationships a agent has with players can become fruitful immediately. if you have brands and sponsors that are looking to do business with high school kids. As far as conducting business, it’s regularly scheduled programing for G.A.M.E. I’ve been doing sponsorships, endorsements, and brand deals for years. It’s just the race to find players that have a combination of marketability off court and a winning pedigree on court to warrant the type of deals we want. "
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