Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Raymond.
Hi Michael, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Absolutely! Thank you for the opportunity, and I am so excited to share my story and passion for helping others. Working with athletes has been my passion since I was young, so this is a dream come true. My love and passion for basketball and sports, in general, started when I was very young. I used to play pickup games in the neighborhood with older kids and my older brother after school. Being the youngest and the smallest at the time, I always wanted to be better than them. That hunger led to me playing for my middle school team in 7th and 8th grade at Tequesta Trace Middle. In high school, I played every day, but I started to grow a passion for the business side of basketball and law school. Junior and Senior year, I gave up competitive basketball. I decided to focus on getting into a good University and began networking with leaders in the industry. Thankfully, I ended up at UCF, and this was one of the biggest blessings of my life. At UCF, I was an Economics major. I had an interest in economics and the financial markets, but my real passion was sports. I decided to take a minor in Sports Business Management, where I met Professor Scott Bukstein. After tons of hard work, countless volunteer events, and sitting in his office hours for multiple hours, he took me under his wing as TA for the rest of my time at UCF.
Bukstein seeing my network and work ethic helped me expand into the sports business world tremendously. Being the GM of the Phoenix Suns and former agent, his brother Trevor helped Scott keep his basketball knowledge and connections on par as he taught students at UCF. Bukstein taught me so many things about the agent business and law school. Most of all, he helped me grow as a leader and student mentally and spiritually. I am a better human being because of Scott Bukstein. I then became student president of the program during my senior year and brought in new speakers each week. My network of agents, general managers, scouts, trainers, coaches, etc., began to grow tremendously.
I did everything in my power to meet anyone in the sports business world while I was in Orlando, and I attended every basketball or sports business-related event that existed. Players at UCF and in the area began to take notice, and they saw me everywhere. This led to some wonderful friendships with UCF basketball and football players throughout my time at UCF. I used to go to the practice gym after class and get up shots with them from 9:00-1:00 am some nights. Those are the times I will never forget. These meaningful and long-lasting relationships will always be the backbone of why I love the agent business. Helping athletes create a foundation to accomplish their dreams is what motivates me. I love learning every day, and when you work with athletes, you can be inspired by their story and work ethic. It is an honor.
As a senior, I went all-in on law school and getting into the University of Miami Law. My family went to Miami, and I’m from the area. I wanted to stay local, and I also knew Miami was the best opportunity for me in Florida regarding Sport and Entertainment law. I had a great network in Miami and Orlando already and thought, why start over? Continue to build my network with sports lawyers, agents, Miami players, etc. After the hardest semester of my life and a major health scare, I finally got into the University of Miami. I took the LSAT four times and got beaten down mentally and physically. Test-taking is not for me and was never for me. I had a major autoimmune scare that messed with my head for weeks and made my family worry every single day. This was not a fun time, but I used it as motivation. I did not let anything stop me from my goals of getting into Miami and being the NBA agent, I know I could be. Be comfortable in the chaos was my slogan.
Now I am two years in at Miami Law. It has been an amazing experience of learning and growth. I have networked with so many lawyers, sports attorneys, agents, players, trainers, and anybody I can, to continue my path of being an agent. I worked with business managers, agents, and lawyers to gain some experience and knowledge. During Covid, I had countless athletes messaging me to help them with their agent decisions, business opportunities, growing their brand on social media, building companies, investing, networking, and everything in between. I decided to take this opportunity and start my own Athlete Management company. My goal was always to start Raymond Representation, but I never thought I would do it during my law school career or this early in the process. I had over 20 athletes reaching out to me for guidance and mentorship, so I thought, why not? Many people are scared just to get started. That’s all it takes. One jump. I did it, and it has been the best decision of my life. While juggling law school, studying for the agent certification exam, and family stuff, I continued to build Raymond Representation. Signing over ten new clients in three months, marketing on all social platforms, helping players network and become business leaders, while doing awesome interviews with them so they can share their story. In my mind, every player has a story, and every player has a brand.
A lot of athletes are overlooked and brushed to the side. These guys still need guidance and someone else in their ear to guide them with amazing opportunities. They all can be entrepreneurs and business leaders, but they all can’t be NBA stars. What will these guys do when the ball stops bouncing? I have athletes that love fashion, videogames, stocks, other sports, tech, training kids, local camps, social media, tik tok. These are all opportunities for passive income streams and ways to pursue their interest and hobbies while making money. My goal is to help as many athletes as possible create a better future and inspire and motivate along the way. It doesn’t matter if I’m getting paid or not. We all have a story, and there will always be people who relate to it. Raymond Representation will continue to expand with new clients and new opportunities for 2021. I will also be taking the NBPA agent exam to represent players as agents and handle contract opportunities with teams in the NBA and FIBA/G-LEAGUE. While doing that, I will continue to be a business, marketing, and lifestyle manager and take my law background into consulting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Studying for the LSAT was one of the toughest times for me, mentally and physically. I did decent my first time, then bombed it the next two, then bounced back and killed it the last time. Got a score good enough for Miami after four tries. Never give up right? I got a rare autoimmune disease that thankfully came in a mild form. It does not affect me anymore, but it has changed my mindset and work ethic forever. Health and family are everything, and I will never take that for granted again. Treat your body like a temple, eat healthy, work hard, workout harder, love your friends and family, and inspire and motivate.
Starting an Athlete Management company during Covid and Law school is tough. I love the pressure and live for the chaos. As Drew Rosenhaus said, he’s comfortable in the chaos. I have lived by that for years. I feel more than comfortable juggling all these things, and it has been a blessing. I love to grind every day and prove myself wrong. Studying for finals, signing new clients, and building the brand was tough this past month, but we made it happen. No excuses. Head down and work. Not being able to attend basketball-related events has been tough networking wise. Summer league being canceled and all the high school tournaments and games. Also, struggles with international teams and contracts have been a headache. The g league has been a headache, and we don’t know if it will start. All my clients remained strong and worked out every single day. We remain blessed that our family and friends are in good health, and that’s all we can ask for. 2021 will be a major year of networking events and basketball content.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Raymond Representation is an Athlete Management Company. It was started and founded by me. We work with athletes on all Business, Marketing, and Lifestyle opportunities. I also manage and have part ownership of a professional Call of Duty team called Sixth Gear. We are big in the E-sports industry. I also advise and guide them on certain basketball-related opportunities and either find agents or network with teams that the agent might not have connections with. If they already have an agent, I help the agent with certain marketing opportunities and expanding the network as much as possible. My relationship with players is a lot more personal than the normal agent-client relationship. We also organize different basketball and business opportunities for them, so they have a plan for the upcoming months. Marketing and social media are my biggest tool and I make sure athletes are utilizing them.
I do this job for meaningful, long-lasting relationships. I am known for my worth ethic and my amazing network at such a young age. I have built an amazing network of agents and basketball leaders that, in my mind, is impressive for being 23. I am also known for being genuine and trustworthy with all my clients. Athletes want someone they can come to for any problem, any situation, and any conversation. That is me. It goes both ways. We are building our lives together—one opportunity at a time. What sets me apart is a lot of things. First, the agent business is loaded with young students that want to be agents. I always try and stay ahead of the game. I went from the top down. Instead of focusing on players first, I focused on expanding my network, so when a player came my way, I had any connection they needed. So, networking and connection wise I think I have a leg up on my competition. When it comes to going above and beyond to helping clients, I think I have a leg up. A lot of my clients now I manage for free. I believe in them, and they believe in me. Lastly, I have an excellent knowledge of social media and the new age tech coming our way. This new entrepreneurial wave will be big for athletes, especially with social media, esports, tech. I have more knowledge in this area than the usual student, and I manage an Esports team. A law degree and being a practicing lawyer in the future will also be a huge leg up for me with the network I have built-in Miami. Whatever a player needs, Raymond Representation can get!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My brother Jordan and I have always had a major love and passion for cars. He always washed everybody’s car and customized his g37 coupe. This led to my best friend and me in high school, starting our own car club and helping others learn how to build and customize cars. We ran a huge car meet where we networked and saw amazing cars every week. These car meets were some of the best times of our lives, and that led to us getting our first cars and getting rims, lights, body kits, etc.; and we use to sit in the principal’s office during lunch and talk cars because he loved our car meets as well. Now I help athletes in the car realm with buying, selling, or customizing their whips. Lastly, my parents have given me everything I can ask for my entire life. There is not one thing they have not blessed me with. They taught me to work hard, be personable, be nice to everyone, and most of all have love and passion for what you do. My parents have allowed me to chase my dreams and build something special at Raymond Representation. They took the burden off me financially and educationally for so many years. They have allowed me to be great and I wouldn’t be who I am without them. I will make sure they get it all in return one day!
Contact Info:
- Email: mraymond@miami.edu
- Website: raymondrep.com
- Instagram: raymond_representation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.raymond.94064/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Raymond_Rep
Image Credits
Tacko Fall, Chance McSpadden, Orin Mayers, Ray Allen, Gabriel Baraza, Sid Ferrell, Beth Raymond, Jason Brandwein.
