Klutch Sports Group's Omar Wilkes and Kelton Crenshaw came up with novel ways to amplify their NBA and NFL clients during the pandemic.
Omar Wilkes, head of basketball, and Kelton Crenshaw, agent
Klutch Sports Group was founded in 2012 by Rich Paul, LeBron James' agent and longtime friend. In 2019, United Talent Agency invested in the sports agency, naming Paul head of UTA Sports in addition to his role at Klutch.
Wilkes, as head of basketball for Klutch Sports, has a roster that includes Atlanta Hawks point guard and NBA All-Star Trae Young, and 2020 NBA No. 1 draft pick Anthony Edwards. The longtime agent was previously at Octagon for nearly a decade and now manages other agents and the basketball division at Klutch in addition to signing players and negotiating their deals.
During the pandemic, Wilkes teamed with UTA (and agent Ryan Hayden, who is also featured on this list) to have their NBA pro day featured on ESPN, amplifying the profiles of Klutch's players. When it comes to content creation, Wilkes is focused on "finding the balance of what someone can digest and is able to take on their plate outside of their sport, and still obviously perform at their highest level," he told Insider.
Agent Kelton Crenshaw, who founded marketing and promotions company Eighty81 with Paul (a longtime friend from college) and Edward Givens, pursued a law degree to bolster his agency skill set and currently reps NFL players Chase Young, Devonta Smith, Greg Newsome, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, among others.
When the NFL draft went remote in 2020, Crenshaw and his team launched the Keegan-Michael Key-narrated podcast "Drafted," which offered a behind-the-scenes look at the stories of the young players entering the draft that year. Crenshaw looks for content and branding opportunities that "allow them to give the fans a peek behind the scenes without being a distraction."
Relevant clients include:Wilkes' roster: Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard with 1.2 million Instagram followers), Cam Reddish (New York Knicks small forward with 541,000 Instagram followers), Jarred Vanderbilt (Utah Jazz power forward with 121,000 Instagram followers), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors small forward with 218,000 Instagram followers), Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks point guard with 4.8 million Instagram followers), Dereck Lively II (Duke Blue Devils center with 38,500 Instagram followers). Crenshaw's roster: Coby Bryant (Seattle Seahawks cornerback with 70,100 Instagram followers), Devonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver with 721,000 Instagram followers) , Jesse Luketa (Arizona linebacker), Isaiah Likely (Baltimore Ravens tight end with 29,700 Instagram followers), Kayvon Thibodeaux (New York Giants defensive end with 207,000 Instagram followers), Pharaoh Brown (Cleveland Browns tight end with 25,900 Instagram followers).
Klutch Sports Group's Omar Wilkes and Kelton Crenshaw came up with novel ways to amplify their NBA and NFL clients during the pandemic.
Omar Wilkes, head of basketball, and Kelton Crenshaw, agent
Klutch Sports Group was founded in 2012 by Rich Paul, LeBron James' agent and longtime friend. In 2019, United Talent Agency invested in the sports agency, naming Paul head of UTA Sports in addition to his role at Klutch.
Wilkes, as head of basketball for Klutch Sports, has a roster that includes Atlanta Hawks point guard and NBA All-Star Trae Young, and 2020 NBA No. 1 draft pick Anthony Edwards. The longtime agent was previously at Octagon for nearly a decade and now manages other agents and the basketball division at Klutch in addition to signing players and negotiating their deals.
During the pandemic, Wilkes teamed with UTA (and agent Ryan Hayden, who is also featured on this list) to have their NBA pro day featured on ESPN, amplifying the profiles of Klutch's players. When it comes to content creation, Wilkes is focused on "finding the balance of what someone can digest and is able to take on their plate outside of their sport, and still obviously perform at their highest level," he told Insider.
Agent Kelton Crenshaw, who founded marketing and promotions company Eighty81 with Paul (a longtime friend from college) and Edward Givens, pursued a law degree to bolster his agency skill set and currently reps NFL players Chase Young, Devonta Smith, Greg Newsome, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, among others.
When the NFL draft went remote in 2020, Crenshaw and his team launched the Keegan-Michael Key-narrated podcast "Drafted," which offered a behind-the-scenes look at the stories of the young players entering the draft that year. Crenshaw looks for content and branding opportunities that "allow them to give the fans a peek behind the scenes without being a distraction."
Relevant clients include:Wilkes' roster: Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard with 1.2 million Instagram followers), Cam Reddish (New York Knicks small forward with 541,000 Instagram followers), Jarred Vanderbilt (Utah Jazz power forward with 121,000 Instagram followers), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors small forward with 218,000 Instagram followers), Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks point guard with 4.8 million Instagram followers), Dereck Lively II (Duke Blue Devils center with 38,500 Instagram followers). Crenshaw's roster: Coby Bryant (Seattle Seahawks cornerback with 70,100 Instagram followers), Devonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver with 721,000 Instagram followers) , Jesse Luketa (Arizona linebacker), Isaiah Likely (Baltimore Ravens tight end with 29,700 Instagram followers), Kayvon Thibodeaux (New York Giants defensive end with 207,000 Instagram followers), Pharaoh Brown (Cleveland Browns tight end with 25,900 Instagram followers).
