NBA Expose: The Most Powerful Man In The Sport Is....... William Wesley?

Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones, Nike CEO Phil Knight, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.

These are typically the first names that pop into mind when discussing the question of "Who is the most powerful man in the sports world?" 

These are the names most fans expect to hear when posing such a question to insiders and people in the know when it comes to the sports big-wigs. Many people, however, may be inclined to go in a different direction.

You would be surprised how many people utter the name of "World Wide Wes."

Some of you may have heard rumors and rumblings of the range of Wes' influence and others may be wondering, "Who is 'World Wide Wes?'"

I was alerted to the presence of William Wesley a few years back in an article published in GQ magazine by Alex French.

French told the story of a mysterious man whose exact role was rather undefined. From every description I have read, he amounts to a pro bono pimp, handling players like prostitutes but avoiding the messiness associated with lining his pockets.

One thing that was blatantly apparent is that Wes has an unbelievable amount of pull in the world of sports and specifically the NBA.

William Wesley's story is an interesting one in itself.

As a young man, he grew up in Camden, New Jersey to a family of typical wealth and means. He begins rubbing shoulders with the area's high school basketball stars, first as an opponent on the court and then as a friend and confidant.

Wesley appeared to be little more than an assistant/fixer type in the early going, but the more Wes networked himself, the more access he gained. He gained the trust of players and eventually became a counsel of sorts to some of the game's biggest stars.

Eventually, his role morphed into to player handler for guys like DaJuan Wagner, LeBron James, Allen Iverson and many more. 

By the early part of the new millennium, Wesley is known throughout the NBA as the most grandiose of the league's insiders. You can find Wesley in the locker room at the Super Bowl and court side for the Final Four. 

In November of 2004, the Indiana Pacers traveled to the Palace at Auburn Hills to play against the Detroit Pistons. After a cup was thrown on to the court when play is stopped due to another Ron Artest incident and hits Artest, things get out of hand.

Artest headed into the stands and over the course of the next several minutes, the stadium turned into a war zone. Several players were involved in incidents with many fans.

Who is right there in the middle of everything?  William Wesley.

Wesley is seen in pictures restraining the likes of Artest and Pacers All-Star C Jermaine O'Neal during the madness.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Wes seems to be how exactly he benefits from what essentially amounts to a human social network. I hypothesize that the answer to that is much simpler than most would lead you to believe.

How much money do sports fans shell out every year to gain access to court side seats and have full locker room access to entertain conversations with their favorite players and coaches?

William Wesley has basically won the lifetime super sports sweepstakes, which is something that many middle aged men in this country can only dream of.  

If he happens to be able to make a few dollars along the way then so be it.

This summer, a lot was made about World Wide Wes' association with LeBron James and "The Decision."

Did Wes have influence on the decision? Did he orchestrate a hostile takeover of the NBA free agency market?

The answer is probably somewhere in the middle, because when it comes to Wes, people either seem to have no idea or far too many ideas. There is little doubt that Wesley has an unimaginable amount of clout that extends from the AAU ranks that supply colleges all the way to the NBA stars with multimillion dollar shoe deals.

Whether or not he is good or bad for the game is yet to be determined.

It's difficult to tell what his true agenda is and most of us on the outside will probably never know. William Wesley, like many powerful men, falls somewhere between harmless and diabolic on the character spectrum.

One thing I do know:  I would love to have the movie rights to this guy's story. What self-respecting man's man wouldn't love a movie that amounts to a spy-movie about pro sports?