Who Is 'World Wide Wes"?

April 7, 2010

Who Is World Wide Wes'?

Matt May
CatsPause.com Senior Writer

William Wesley is the most mysterious man in collegiate and professional basketball. Whether he's behind Kentucky's bench at NCAA Tournament games or hobnobbing with the game's elite superstars he's been painted as everything from a villain to Pied Piper to father figure.

So who is 'World Wide Wes' really? In the current Apr. 19 issue of ESPN Magazine a current National Basketball Association star goes into great detail describing the man so little is known about. Part of the series of columns entitled 'NBA Player X Anonymous' the player - who has a personal relationship with Wesley - portrays him as the most powerful man in basketball today. The following are excerpts from the ESPN Magazine column:

"Who is the most powerful person in the NBA? David Stern? No. LeBron James? No. Kobe Bryant? Nope. It's Wes Wesley. Most fans don't know who he is. Most players, agents and GMs can't figure out who he works for. But we all know this: Wes is the greatest connector of players, coaches, GMs, agents, celebrities and big-time sponsors in sports. Need tickets to a Jay-Z concert, a new sneaker deal or the phone number of a general manager, he's your man. There's a reason we call him Uncle Wes.

"Right away I knew he was different from the other sketchy dudes hanging around because he didn't ask me for anything. Years later, the man has hooked me up with everything from sports drink endorsements to grooming commercials. When I wanted a new sneaker deal, Wes was my first call. My agent may have negotiated the contract but Wes made it happen. And he's never asked for a dime, ever. Nobody really knows who pays him. I'm good friends with him, and I still don't know."

Wesley's influence in the game has often gotten him vilified by media and agents but he clearly has the respect and trust of the game's most talented and sought after athletes. While the column did not offer any concrete details of his financial ties it suggests many of the rumors of his secretive dealings being questionable as little more than petty jealousy.

"Because he has the ear of every player, coach, GM and sneaker company, a lot of people around basketball like to hate on Wes. Agents worry that he's going to steal their clients and steer them to one of his favorite agents. They think he's a glorified runner, a dude who agents send around to befriend players, get them into clubs and eventually get them to sign a contract. It's a shady business. But Wes is not one of those guys. Wes isn't running for anyone. I'm sure he's got his ways to make money, but he's interested only in setting up deals and making sure the people around you are looking out for you."

The one eyebrow raising section suggests the possibility Wesley will soon be working in an official capacity as an agent for coaches. Should that come to pass it would be interesting to see how his friendship with coaches like Kentucky's John Calipari and others, as well as with players, is scrutinized. There are no indications of anything improper but it would stand to reason the NCAA, who watchdogs everything these days, would take a closer look at those relationships.

"Agents aren't the only ones wary of Wes, though. He scares GMs because has the power to convince players they need a change of scenery when their contracts are up. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in LeBron's ear about Cleveland. And the rumor now is that he recently signed on with CAA - home to LeBron, Melo and D-Wade - to be an agent for college and NBA coaches. I guess the thinking goes: He's already friends with Calipari, why not make it official?"

In the meantime, this small window into who exactly 'World Wide Wes' is may be the closest anyone in the general public will get.