“Somebody pissed her off” - LeBron James comes out in support of Klutch Sports COO Fara Leff following her snubbing from SBJ’s most influential in sports list
LeBron James of the LA Lakers has been represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports since 2012. James, Paul and Maverick Carter were all named by the Sports Business Journal as some of the top athlete influencers of 2021. However, Klutch Sports COO Fara Leff is unhappy with the publication and called them out on Instagram.
Leff, who has been the COO of Klutch Sports since it was founded in 2012, had some words to say to the Sports Business Journal. She was questioning why there were no female influencers on the "Deal Makers" list and why the trio of LeBron James, Rich Paul and Maverick Carter were put as "Athlete Influencers."
LeBron James went on to reshare the post on his Instagram account, captioned:
"SOMEBODY PISSED HER OFF!"
The Sports Business Journal named Michael Rubin as their most influential person for 2021. Rubin is the Chief Executive Officer of Fanatics, a retailer brand that sells licensed sports memorabilia, merchandise, sportswear and sports equipment.
The "Deal Makers" list mentioned by Fara Leff includes Scott Boras of Boras Corp, RedBird Capital's Gerry Cardinale, Endeavor's Ari Emanuel, Mark Shapiro and Patrick Whitesell, Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, Michael Levine and Howard Nuchow of CAA Sports, and Bruin Capital CEO George Pyne.
In addition to LeBron James, Rich Paul and Maverick Carter, the publication's "Athlete Influencers" also features current and former players of the NWSL, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
One possible reason for Leff getting angry at the Sports Business Journal is James, Paul and Carter being left off the "Deal Makers" list. It's a given that LeBron is an athlete, while Paul and Carter are not. Paul is the founder of Klutch Sports and Carter is the CEO of SpringHill Co.
For context, RedBird Capital's Gerry Cardinale had a deal with SpringHill Co. earlier this year. As for Klutch Sports, they are one of the most influential agencies in sports and Boras Corp, Endeavor and CAA Sports are all sports agencies.
LeBron James plays 43 minutes in LA Lakers win over Dallas Mavericks
LeBron James played 43 minutes in the LA Lakers overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. James put up 24 points, three rebounds and five assists in a 107-104 victory at the American Airlines Center to help the Lakers win their third straight game.
However, it was undrafted rookie guard Austin Reaves who stole the show by hitting the game-winning three-point shot with 0.9 seconds left. Reaves was mobbed by James and the rest of the Lakers after the buzzer.
AUSTIN REAVES WINS IT FOR THE LAKERS IN OT 😱 https://t.co/Ve55NKRdrN
"The King" ran down the clock, drawing two defenders and making a pass to Wayne Ellington, who gave the ball to Russell Westbrook. The former MVP drove to the lane before finding Reaves for the game-winning shot. LeBron James and the Lakers are now 16-13 after a slow start to the season.
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