Mike Conley Sr., a former Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump, has made the leap. He sounds like an agent. He's selling Greg Oden.

"He's Shaq but shoots free throws," Conley said. "He has close to a 40-inch vertical jump. You've never seen anyone like him. You can't label him like Dwight Howard or like Shaq. Both of them are great, but he's neither one. He's a new kind of athlete."

To Conley, Oden isn't just a virtual family member. He's a marketing brand.

He's not just someone who's been a friend and teammate of Conley's son, Mike Jr. He's a partner in an eight-figure business.

It became official Tuesday: On June 28, when the Lawrence North High School graduate is widely projected to be the first or second player selected in the NBA draft, Conley, his longtime summer coach and mentor, will be by his side. One of the most talked-about rookies in NBA history, represented by a rookie NBA agent.

Conley's challenge would seem to be eased by another announcement: that his new agency, MAC Management Group, will become partners with BDA Sports Management, one of the top agencies handling NBA players.

In many ways, it seems perfect. Oden sticks with a man he still calls "coach," who's backed by a proven agency. Conley gets help where he needs it as he starts a new career with a blockbuster client.

Yet questions remain.

Conley insists his company isn't being swallowed, that he'll remain autonomous. He says he'll handle Oden's NBA contract and turn to BDA for help on endorsements and marketing.

Contract negotiations for top NBA rookies aren't complicated. There's a specific salary cap for each first-round draft position. But there's much more to representing a pro athlete, including money management, insurance, public relations and planning for life after basketball.

Even with help, is a rookie agent the best point guard with stakes this large?

There's also the issue of appropriateness. Conley says he's heard the whispers. A stunning young player, nearly 7 feet tall before he entered high school . . . his summer coach gets close to the family, becomes an agent just as the player prepares to enter the NBA . . . then the new agent cashes in.

Agents can receive as much as 4 percent of a player's NBA contract. Oden's first four years figure to bring a salary of roughly $21 million. Four percent is $840,000. After that, the cap increases substantially. LeBron James' second contract was for three years and $60 million. And with endorsements, there are no limits to what a player -- or agent -- can make.

"If I was looking at it from the outside, it would give the appearance of all the things they're thinking," Conley said of the criticism. "I don't have a problem dealing with that, because I know they don't understand the full picture. . . .

"What people don't realize, which I'll never be able to prove, is if Greg Oden wasn't Greg Oden today, I would still be helping Greg Oden. For me, it's a huge opportunity. I'll be the first one to admit it, and I'm grateful for it. I'm not shying away from it. There's nothing dirty or unethical. It's something I truly feel I'm good at, and I think in the end, it's going to be a win-win."

Preparation

Sitting in the new Northside office of MAC Management last week, Conley had a revelation.

This whole thing, looking at it one way, was Oden's mother's idea.

"There was a conversation where I went to her and said, 'Hey, Zoe, I'm going to help you,' " Conley recalled. " 'Down the road, we're going to find an agent. We're going to find a financial adviser. We're going to get you a team of people that will have your best interest at heart, and I'll help you find that team.'

"She looked back at me and said, 'You mean you're not going to be our agent?' I looked at her, and I went, 'You know something? That's a very good point.' Then I started refocusing my thinking."

Conley said he first considered becoming a sports agent toward the end of his track career in the 1990s, long before he met the Odens. Instead, in 1999, Conley took a job as executive director of Elite Athlete Programs for USA Track & Field, which brought him to Indianapolis . Shortly after that, Oden, a sixth-grader living in Terre Haute , joined the summer basketball team Conley coached, which included Mike Jr.

At first, Conley said, representing "the boys" someday "wasn't high on the list." But as they got better and better, Conley said, he saw an opportunity.

"It was like, 'OK, if there's ever a time in your life, Michael, you want to pursue this, the window of opportunity is here.' And I started positioning myself knowledge-wise to become an agent."

Conley received a bachelor's degree in management at Indiana Wesleyan University in April 2004. He received an Indiana sports agent license two months ago.

On the license application, under "formal training as an athlete agent," he wrote that he developed education sessions for agents and track and field rookies on topics such as financial management, public relations and marketing.

Under "practical experience," he wrote that he has negotiated appearance fees and endorsement contracts for himself and "numerous other" track and field athletes. He said he has negotiated for training facilities and travel accommodations for U.S. athletes at the world championships and Olympics, and that he obtained funding for athletes from companies such as Nike.

Some NBA agents and experts, while not overtly critical, seemed dubious about the proposition -- not just about whether Conley was ready to represent Oden, but also players whose draft status is less certain.

(At this point, Conley doesn't have any other players, but that might not last long. Mike Jr. and Daequan Cook, another Ohio State freshman who played on Conley's summer team, have entered the draft but haven't signed with an agent, leaving them the option of returning to college basketball. If they do go pro, they'll likely sign with Conley.)

And being an agent isn't Conley's only job. He's also executive director of World Sport Chicago, which promotes the city's 2016 Olympics bid.

"There's so much more to it than just negotiating a contact," said Mark Bartelstein, a top agent for NBA and NFL players. "There's managing a player's career, knowing the nuances of every team and situation, knowing the personalities of the general managers and coaches. It's like any business. You gain expertise over time. I think about what I know now versus 20 years ago, and it's like night and day."

Florida Coastal law Professor Rick Karcher, who has studied how players unions regulate agents, said choosing Conley made sense for Oden.

"I think the fact that Oden chose not to just go with a high-profile agency with a 'show me the money' attitude reflects favorably upon his character," Karcher said.

"What Conley Sr. lacks in experience, he makes up for in other ways. Some would say that a player shouldn't let family and personal friendships get in the way of an important business decision. But I think you have to give Oden the benefit of the doubt here."

Said Indiana Pacers veteran guard Darrell Armstrong: "It's just like football or basketball when you're getting recruited. You go off to college, you've got to be comfortable with that coach and his program. It's the same thing with an agent. You've got to know he's going to do what he's supposed to do.

"It's all about Oden and what makes him comfortable."

Gut feeling

In the end, that's what it came down to: trust.

Oden couldn't be reached for comment for this story, but his mom said the decision "wasn't tough at all."

"I knew I was going to go with Mike as soon as I knew he was going to be an agent," Zoe Oden said. "He's an excellent businessman. Having that personal connection makes me feel comfortable.

"There were lots of calls from finance managers and marketing people, and everybody has someone they're connected to. I've asked a lot of questions, and I chose to still stick with Mike."

Said Conley: "What I've always promised Greg and his mom and all my players is I would always have their best interest at heart and put them in good situations, whether that be junior high school, high school, going to the NBA from high school or going to college, whatever it may be.

"When it's all said and done and you interview me six months from now, you're going to go, 'Yeah, I see, Mike, that that's the best situation Greg could ever be in.' "

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