Former NBA All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O’Neal are teaming up to launch a player representation agency this fall, according to The New York Times‘ Marc Stein.
Friends since entering the league straight out of high school in the 1990s, McGrady and O’Neal had talked about the venture in the past, and the discussions intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with @NYTSports, @hoophall inductee Tracy McGrady and six-time All-Star @jermaineoneal reveal they are co-launching a player representation agency: Seven1 Sports Group and Entertainment
Full story for SportsMonday in the @nytimes: https://t.co/tJnHkn4rHQ
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 20, 2020
The agency will be called Seven1 Sports Group and Entertainment, which is a mash-up of the jersey numbers they wore during their careers (O’Neal was No. 7 and McGrady was No. 1).
Stein explains the plan is for McGrady to serve as co-owner and advisor to players, and O’Neal intends to take the National Basketball Players Association test in January to become a registered NBA agent and hold partner status alongside McGrady.
O’Neal was a six-time All-Star while starring for the Indiana Pacers in the 2000s, while McGrady made seven straight All-Star teams and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.