Before joining the Lakers, he was
Kobe Bryant's agent and president and CEO of The Landmark Sports Agency, LLC.[4] Pelinka has represented many players who have been
top-14 picks since the
2003 NBA draft, including two at the
2010 NBA draft and second-overall
2011 NBA draft selection
Derrick Williams.[5] In the
2012 NBA draft, Pelinka represented
Dion Waiters and
Andre Drummond, who were selected 4th and 9th overall, respectively. Pelinka was formerly
Kevin Durant's agent; he resigned as
Carlos Boozer's agent following a controversy in which Boozer signed a contract with the Utah Jazz after allegedly promising to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[6]
Pelinka played
basketball for
Lake Forest High School, earning
All-American honors. As a junior, he led Lake Forest High School to its first conference championship. Entering his senior season, Pelinka was overlooked by many
Division Iscouts and
recruiters. However, his
MVP performance in a four-game tournament, where he made all 42 of his
free throws, and his impressive season statistics enabled him to become a highly recruited athlete by the end of his senior year. He was selected to several regional all-star lists and to play on several regional all-star teams as a senior.[citation needed]
Pelinka is the son of Robert Todd Pelinka Sr., a former high school basketball coach who taught him the fundamentals of basketball.[1][8]
High school career
Pelinka became a high school All-American basketball player at
Lake Forest High School.[3][9] Regarded as one of the best shooters in the Chicago area, alongside teammate Coley Brannon.[10][11] the 6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m) junior led Lake Forest to their first conference championship as an all-conference guard.[12][13] However, the team lost in the first round of postseason play in 1987.[14] Pelinka also played in the Chicago pro-amateur leagues where he played against local stars such as
Mark Aguirre,
Tim Hardaway,
Kevin Duckworth and
Kendall Gill.[8]
By his senior season, he was listed at 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), and moved to the
point guard position from the
shooting guard position in the absence of Douglass, who had graduated and joined future Big Ten opponent
Wisconsin, as a starting point guard.[1][15] As a senior, Pelinka was a preseason selection by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of the top 50
Chicago metropolitan area high school basketball players and top five North Suburban players.[16][17] However, he was not a national preseason top 500 pick by Street & Smith's basketball magazine, which may have been because his senior season marked the first season that the
three-point shot was adopted by
state high school associations and Pelinka was mainly a shooter.[18] Furthermore,
scouts such as Chicago-based David Kaplan, who questioned his true height and
dribbling ability, doubted whether he was talented enough to play for either of his targeted colleges (Michigan and
Notre Dame) even in late December of his senior year despite his having had multiple 30-
point efforts already.[19]
During the four-game December 1987
Elgin tournament, in which he was named
MVP, Pelinka made all 41 of his free throws and recorded a tournament record 139 points, including 45 in one game.[20][21] Pelinka's streak of consecutive free throws made ended at 45,[22] but later recounts showed he had 42 free throws in the tournament and 46 consecutive overall, which ranked fourth in Illinois high school basketball history at the time of his graduation.[23] After his tournament performance, Pelinka responded through the press to a scout who felt he might be limited to
Division II or
mid-major programs such as
William & Mary that since he was able to score 45 points against a player committed to play for
DePaul, he could succeed at the
Division I high-major level.[24] He had only been recruited by William & Mary,
Navy,
Wisconsin-Green Bay and
Ivy League schools before his tournament performance. Afterwards, at least three
Big Ten Conference schools showed interest—
Illinois,
Minnesota and
Wisconsin—although no scouts were allowed to attend any games before February 8.[25]
By the beginning of February of his senior year, Pelinka was listed as one of the top ten Class AA (the larger school class)[26] basketball players in Illinois by Illinois High School Basketball magazine.[27] By the time of the scouting deadline of February 8, when college scouts could start attending his games, Pelinka was averaging 30 points and 10
rebounds per game; Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame and
North Carolina showed interest in him.[28] Even previously doubtful scout Kaplan noted that of the players who waited until the April signing period instead of signing in November, Pelinka was one of the best in the Chicago area.[29][30]
At the conclusion of the season, Pelinka had a 30-point-per-game average that benefited from a 41% three-point shot percentage over the course of 208 attempts.[31] Pelinka was named to the post-(regular) season All-Chicago area top 20 players by the Chicago Sun-Times.[32][33] He was named among the 20 Class AA All-state players in a class that included
Eric Anderson,
LaPhonso Ellis,
Acie Earl, and
Deon Thomas.[34] In addition to various all-star lists, Pelinka was selected to play for various regional all-star teams.[35][36][37][38][39] He earned a coveted spot in the Schlitz League, teaming up with
Maurice Cheeks for Luster Premium Hair Products.[40]
Pelinka's final decision came down to a choice between Illinois and Michigan.[41][42] Pelinka chose Michigan because of its academically stronger
law school and
business school.[43][44] After selecting Michigan, he had notable performances in his regional all-star games, including a 27-point performance in the annual City-Suburban all-star game.[45][46][47]
In January 2009, Pelinka was one of two players who did not attend the twentieth anniversary reunion of the 1989 championship team.[48] In February, Matt Vogrich broke Pelinka's Lake Forest High School scoring record. Vogrich followed in Pelinka's footsteps, playing as a freshman for the Wolverines basketball team in the
2009–10 season.[49][50][51][52]
During Pelinka's freshman season, Michigan was picked by many to win the Big Ten Conference and was ranked number one in the nation, according to some preseason polls.[57] He was the only true freshman to play in either of the first two games of the season.[58] Pelinka's only start of the season came in the December 12, 1988 game against
Holy Cross. This game followed the team's first loss of the season, which had come against
Division IIAlaska–Anchorage, after an 11–0 start and after which coach
Bill Frieder benched three starters.[59] Pelinka posted his season highs in points (8), rebounds (5) and minutes (18) in this game.[60] During a practice, Pelinka was knocked unconscious and lost two teeth.[61] As the team entered the March stretch run, Pelinka and Calip were the only reserve guards backing up Robinson and Higgins.[57][62] The team went on to win the
1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament against
Seton Hall at the
Kingdome in
Seattle, Washington.[63] When the team visited the
White House, Pelinka held
Rumeal Robinson's
suit coat, while Robinson and
United States PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush reenacted Robinson's game winning free throws.[64]
Redshirt season (1989–1990)
When
tendinitis afflicted his knees,[65] Pelinka
redshirted the 1989–90 season.[53] During his redshirt sophomore season, Pelinka was not called on to take many important shots. He did have an opportunity to take a 20-foot shot with five seconds left in what turned out to be a 76–74 loss to
Texas on December 29, 1990, but he missed the shot.[66] In this game, he played a season-high twenty-eight minutes in his only start of the season and first of his collegiate career.[67][68] Pelinka was also instrumental in setting up some key shots such as a pass to Calip during a frenetic sequence to tie Minnesota in the waning minutes of the game.[69] The team finished with at 14–15 overall (7–11 Big Ten) record after losing to
Colorado in the first round of the NIT.[70][71]
Sophomore season (1990–1991)
During his redshirt junior year, he was joined at Michigan by the Fab Five, who were all true freshmen.[72] He was injured for part of the season.[73] When he was healthy, he was an important reserve player.[74][75] After sitting out the first half, he scored the
overtime opening three-point shot and made three of four overtime free throws in an 89–79 road victory against
Michigan State at the
Breslin Center on January 29, 1992.[76][77] Pelinka had also contributed an earlier three-point shot as Michigan erased a thirteen-point deficit to force the overtime.[78] Pelinka also contributed his season-high nineteen minutes and a second-half career-high eleven points (eclipsed in his senior season) in a March 11, 1992 70–61 victory against
Purdue at the
Mackey Arena.[79][80] Michigan head coach
Steve Fisher credited both of these wins to Pelinka and also noted his two important three-point shots against
East Tennessee State.[8] The team lost in the
final game of the
1992 NCAA Tournament.[81] After the season, he went with the team on a 9-game 16-day European trip.[82] According to press accounts, the team was homesick during the trip and Pelinka got sick from drinking tap water.[83]
Junior season (1991–1992)
The following season, Michigan returned its top nine scorers and began the season ranked number one in the
Associated Pressnational ranking as Pelinka was part of a quartet of seniors backing up the Fab Five, who had become sophomores.[84] As a 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200-pound (91 kg) fifth-year senior,[85] Pelinka started back-to-back games twice during the season. Early in the season, he started in place of the injured Jackson, but Pelinka came down with the flu after two starts against
Kansas and
Eastern Michigan on December 30, 1992, and January 2, 1993 respectively.[86][87][88] During his other set of back-to-back starts against
Ohio State and
Iowa on January 26 and 31, 1993, Pelinka started even though Jackson played.[89][90] Pelinka set several season and career highs, including points (16), in the 72–62 home victory over Ohio State.[91] The sixteen points included six free throws that were among the nine consecutive Michigan made in the final 2:13.[92]
Senior season (1992–1993)
During his senior season, Pelinka was an important role player for the team who drew the most
charges on the team and contributed important defensive minutes as the
sixth man.[53][93] During the 1992–93 season, he led all reserves in minutes and
assists and was second in
points and
rebounds (to
Eric Riley). Pelinka was also instrumental as a leader during the run to the Final Four. Having been the only member of the team in Seattle for the 1989 championship, when the 1993 team played its regional championship games in Seattle, Pelinka was able to show Webber the spot in the locker room where Rice had taken his pre-game nap.[94] During the Final Four weekend in
New Orleans, Louisiana, Chris Webber wore Pelinka's 1989 Championship ring, which only fit on Webber's
pinky finger,[95] and slept with it under his pillow.[96] During the national semifinal 81–78 overtime victory against the
Kentucky Wildcats, Pelinka played in the clinching overtime period after King fouled out.[97] Nonetheless, despite a pair of early three-point shots by Pelinka after Jackson got two early
personal fouls,[98][99] the team lost in
the final game of the
1993 NCAA Tournament against
North Carolina.[100] When the team returned to
Ann Arbor, Michigan for a rally at
Crisler Arena the following day, Pelinka was one of only two Wolverines to speak to the crowd.[101] After his senior season, he played in an NBA Summer Camp in
Long Beach, California and considered offers to play professionally in Europe.[102] At this time, he first met
sports agentArn Tellem and decided not to play basketball.[102] As of 2004[update] he remained in 15th place on the all-time Michigan games played list.[9] Pelinka won the 1993 NCAA
Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship award (NCAA Male Scholar Athlete of the Year).[3]
Among the players he has formerly represented are
DeShawn Stevenson and
Fred Hoiberg.[9] A
Los Angeles resident who was raised in Illinois, Pelinka represents two players who, like him, played high school basketball in the Chicago area (Corey Maggette and Julian Wright) and a third who had been a high school star in
Springfield, Illinois (Iguodala).[121] He has represented several
Arizona Wildcats players including Andre Iguodala and Channing Frye.[112][122] Pelinka is regarded as one of the world's leading sports agents according to Business Insider, who ranked him 5th in 2010.[123]
Pelinka is well known as the agent of
Kobe Bryant, who retired at the end of the
2015–16 season after 20 seasons as a perennial
All-Starguard for the
Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, some of his other clients have hired him because of this.[124] During the
2003 sexual assault case against Bryant, Pelinka spent a considerable amount of time with his client. He accompanied him on trips to
Eagle, Colorado.[125] It was Pelinka who confirmed the news of Bryant's second child.[126] In 2004, when Bryant was a free agent, Pelinka confirmed Bryant would remain in Los Angeles with either the Lakers or the Los Angeles Clippers while rumors were flying that he was going to sign with the
Chicago Bulls.[127] Subsequently, when
Rudy Tomjanovich was hired to be the Lakers'
head coach, he sent free agent Bryant and Pelinka a video package describing the things he has done for players at Bryant's position.[128] A few days later, Pelinka negotiated a contract for Bryant to remain with the Lakers for $136.4 million over seven years.[129] When Bryant demanded to be traded during the 2007 offseason, Pelinka confirmed that "Kobe would like to be moved."[130] He was also the godfather of Kobe's daughter, Gianna Bryant.[131]
Draft success and controversy (2008–2009)
Eric Gordon was drafted seventh overall in the
2008 NBA draft.[116]Sasha Vujačić, a 2008 restricted
free agent, left his agent,
Bill Duffy, and hired Pelinka to be his new agent in July 2008.[132] He had previously left Pelinka for Duffy.[133] Maggette signed on July 10 with the
Golden State Warriors for $50 million over five years.[134] On July 21, Dooling was traded to the
New Jersey Nets from the
Orlando Magic in what was described as a
sign and trade deal with no terms of the signing revealed.[135] Dooling's 2008–09 cap hold (salary cap allocation) with the Magic was $7,192,000.[136] On July 25, Vujačić, who had rejected a 3-year $12 million offer after receiving a qualifying offer of $2.6 million and had planned to accept an offer to play in Europe, signed a 3-year $15 million offer to return to the Lakers.[137][138] However, after signing, some sources listed Vujačić as unaffiliated with any sports agent.[139]
The
Philadelphia 76ers made Iguodala a qualifying offer of $3,800,625 for the 2008–09 season.[115] This gave the 76ers the right to match any superior
offer sheet signed by Iguodala and gave Iguodala the option to play under the terms of the qualifying offer for one season in order to be an unrestricted free agent afterwards. In 2007, Iguodala rejected a $57 million contract extension.[140] Iguodala had a 2008–09 cap hold of $11,401,875.[141] On August 12, the 76ers and Iguodala agreed to a six-year $80 million contract.[142]
Gordon withdrew from
NBA Summer League play with a strained left hamstring in mid July 2008.[143] However, rookie first round draft picks are on a strict two-year pay scale with team options for the third and fourth year, according to the
collective bargaining agreement. Gordon had signed a three-year $8.4 million contract with the Clippers in early July. The contract has a fourth year qualifying option.[144]
Pelinka's clients made news off the court as Boozer filed for divorce and Bryant's former housekeeper filed suit against him in March.[145][146]
At the 2009 NBA draft, he represented third overall selection James Harden.[117] Having represented Wright at the
2007 NBA draft and Gordon at the 2008 draft,[147] this marked the third consecutive year that Pelinka represented a high first round client. Harden signed with the
Oklahoma City Thunder, but terms were not disclosed.[148] For the
2009–10 NBA season, Wright's contract is at a team option of $2,000,040, Bryant and Boozer have player's options of $23,034,375 and $12,323,900 respectively and Frye's qualifying offer amount was $4,264,760.[115] Prior to the June 30 decision deadline, Bryant elected not to opt out of his contract and was expected to sign a new three-year extension.[149] Also prior to the deadline, Boozer decided to exercise the final year of his contract with the Jazz.[150] The
New Orleans Hornets exercised their team option on Wright.[151] The
Portland Trail Blazers decided not to make Frye a qualifying offer, which made him an unrestricted free agent, and prevented the Blazers from having the right to match the two-year offer he agreed to with the Phoenix Suns.[152][153]
Toward the end of the
2009–10 NBA season Pelinka negotiated a three-year extension for Bryant, committing him to the Lakers through the
2013–14 season.[159] Boozer becomes an unrestricted free agent when the 2009–10 season ends.[160] Fisher is also unsigned.[161] Pelinka has signed both Johnson and Davis who were chosen 4th and 13th respectively in the
2010 NBA draft.[118] On July 14, the Lakers announced that they resigned Fisher to what was reported to be a 3-year $10.5 million contract according to
ESPN.[162]NBA.com reported that Boozer signed a 5-year $75 million contract with the
Chicago Bulls.[163]
In addition to 2011 NBA Draft prospect Williams, Pelinka had to represent unsigned Peterson and Vujacic; team option players Gordon and Harden and qualifying option player Wright following the
2010–11 NBA season.[164] Williams was selected 2nd overall.[119]O. J. Mayo signed with Pelinka in the offseason,[165] bringing Pelinka's client list up to 18 NBA players.[166] On June 28, the
Oklahoma City Thunder exercised team options on several players including Harden.[167]
At the beginning of the
2011 NBA lockout, Pelinka, who represented 18 NBA players at the time, was considering putting together a touring team to play
exhibition games in China.[166][168] During the lockout Bryant received offers to play for
Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna that Pelinka negotiated.[169] Although there were difficulties signing Bryant to play in October to due scheduling conflicts, Virtus made an offer worth over $3 million for Bryant to play in 10 games starting in November.[170][171]
Vujacic signed a one-year deal to play with the
Anadolu Efes of the
Turkish Basketball League. His contract did not have an out clause if the NBA lockout was resolved early enough to salvage the
2011–12 NBA season.[172] On December 13, Williams signed with the Timberwolves.[173] 4-year veteran Wright and 11-year veteran Peterson did not sign with NBA teams.
Waiters signed a $16.7 million four-year contract (two years, plus two team options) that was based on the rookie wage scales determined by the collective bargaining agreement.[185] Drummond also signed a multi-year contract.[186] Kaman signed a one-year $8 million contract with the
Dallas Mavericks.[187] Wallace re-signed with the Nets for 4 years and $40 million.[188] The
Memphis Grizzlies did not make Mayo a $7.2 million qualifying offer, thus allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. He subsequently signed with the Mavericks for two years (with a player option in the second year).[189] The
New Orleans Hornets matched the
Phoenix Suns' 4-year $58 million contract for Gordon.[190]
Later agent years (2013–2016)
In April 2013, Pelinka was inducted into his high school's wall of fame.[191] Durant left Pelinka in the offseason.[192] Iguodala declined a one-year $16 million contract from the
Denver Nuggets and met with a half dozen teams when the free agency period opened.[193] He then signed a four-year $48 million contract with the
Golden State Warriors.[194] Mayo was also an unrestricted free agent.[195] Pelinka's 2010 fourth overall draftee Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Lakers for the 4th year veteran's minimum salary of $916,099 after, teaming with Pelinka clients Bryant as well as Kaman,[196][197] who signed with the Lakers the prior week.[198]Trevor Ariza switched agents to sign with Pelinka one year before his contract with the
Washington Wizards was due to expire.[199] On November 25, Bryant signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers at an estimated value of $48.5 million that made him the first NBA player to play 20 years with the same franchise.[200] He remained the league's highest-paid player, despite accepting the discounted deal; he had been eligible to receive an extension starting at $32 million per year.[201]
In the 2014 free agency period, Pelinka represented unsigned players Kaman, Fisher, Ariza, and Johnson; team option Drummond and Williams; qualifying offer player Davis.[206] Kaman signed a two-year $9.8 million contract to play for the
Portland Trail Blazers.[207] Fisher signed a 5-year $25 million contract to be
head coach for the
New York Knicks.[208] Ariza agreed to a 4-year $32 million contract to play for the
Houston Rockets.[209] Late in the year, Drummond left Pelinka for
Jeff Schwartz.[210]
In January 2016,
Avery Bradley left
Mitchell Butler to sign with Pelinka after being disappointed with the results of a contract extension.[215] During the lead-up to the
2016 NBA draft,
Buddy Hield, the consensus college player of the year in
2015–16, signed with Pelinka.[120]Marquese Chriss also signed with Pelinka.[216] Hield was drafted 6th and Chriss was selected 8th.[158]
Executive career
Los Angeles Lakers (2017–present)
On February 21, 2017, media sources reported that the
Los Angeles Lakers of the
National Basketball Association (NBA) were set to hire Pelinka to serve as general manager as part of a management shakeup that included the hiring of
Magic Johnson as executive vice president of basketball operations in place of
Jim Buss and dismissing former GM
Mitch Kupchak.[217] On March 7, Pelinka signed a five-year deal to be the general manager of the Lakers.[218] After he quit the Lakers, Johnson in an interview on ESPN's First Take on May 20, 2019, stated that Pelinka wanted his position and "backstabbed" him.[219] Pelinka has been criticized for his penchant for "storytelling", in other words embellishing or even totally misrepresenting the truth at times throughout his tenure with the Lakers. According to sources, in March 2018, as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson addressed the players on the roster as part of a "Genius Talks" series, Pelinka told a story about his former client
Kobe Bryant.[220] In the story, Pelinka stated that after Bryant had seen the
Heath Ledger film
The Dark Knight, he requested Pelinka set him up with a dinner appointment with Ledger to see how Ledger pushed himself to focus and lock into the role of the Joker. According to Pelinka, Bryant "had dinner with Heath, and he talked about how he locks in for a role... and Kobe used some of that in his game against the Knicks."[220] However, the Dark Knight film was released 6 months after Ledger's death, and a source close to the situation denied that such a dinner had ever taken place.[220] In the words of a 2019 Lakers coaching staff member, "We think, more often than not, he's not being truthful. That goes throughout the organization."[220]
On January 10, 2020, Pelinka was promoted to vice president of basketball operations while also maintaining his role as GM.[221]
Instead of playing basketball in Europe, Pelinka chose to attend Michigan Law School after graduation and became a top law student. During his first year of law school, several of his former teammates appeared in Blue Chips: Billy Douglass (Lake Forest), Eric Anderson (Chicago All-star), and Demitrius Calip (Michigan).[230] While in law school, he took several classes from Kahn.[102] During his second year in law school, he became the
home game
color analyst for Wolverines basketball
play-by-play announcerChuck Swirsky on a 16-station
broadcast network that originated from
WJR-AM,[231] and he debuted on December 22, 1994, during a game against
Jackson State University.[232] While in law school, he interned for
Winston & Strawn LLP.[231] Pelinka earned his
Juris Doctorcum laude in 1996.[2]
^Jamie Colby, Carol McKinley, Rita Cosby, Catherine Donaldson-Evans and The Associated Press (October 10, 2003).
"Detective Details Alleged Rape in Kobe Hearing". FOXNews.com.
Archived from the original on April 9, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2007.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
^"Waiters Signs On With NBA Agent Pelinka". The Post-Standard. April 21, 2012. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2012. Former Syracuse University basketball player Dion Waiters, who decided two weeks ago that he would enter this year's NBA draft after two years at SU, has signed with NBA agent Rob Pelinka.
Note: Those listed here hold one or more of the titles President, President of Basketball Operations, Vice President of Basketball Operations, Chief Executive Officer, or General Manager and in each case have final say in personnel decisions.