黑料不打烊

Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • 鈥機use Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • 黑料不打烊 Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • 黑料不打烊 Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • 鈥機use Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Groundbreaking NBA Player Agents David Falk and Danielle Cantor Visit Falk College

Wednesday, November 1, 2023, By Matt Michael
Share
alumniEventsfacultyFalk College of Sport and Human DynamicsSport ManagementStudents
Michael Veley, Danielle Cantor, David Falk and Dennis Deninger sit in front of a crowd of students at a Falk College lecture

Danielle Cantor (center left) and David Falk (center right) answered questions from sport management students during a presentation moderated by Michael Veley (far left) and Dennis Deninger (far right). 鈥淚 love being able to connect with students,鈥� Cantor said.

With a massive 6-foot-10 frame and deep voice, former Georgetown University basketball coach John Thompson was an imposing figure and 鈥渕y toughest critic,鈥� says , the renowned sports agent who represented Thompson.

鈥淚 know I was afraid of him,鈥� said a smiling , executive vice president and partner of Falk Associates Management Enterprises (FAME), which was co-founded by Falk.

As Cantor rose through the ranks at FAME, Falk made sure she had a seat at the table whenever they met with Thompson. Eventually, Cantor knew she had gained Thompson鈥檚 trust when at the end of one meeting, he turned to her and asked, 鈥淲hat do you think?鈥�

NBA player agent Danielle Cantor meets with Falk College students.

As a key member the FAME team, Cantor (far left) became the first female National Basketball Players Association-certified player agent.

It was yet another moment in her trailblazing career when Cantor realized she was indeed making progress in the male-dominated sport industry. Now, as the first female National Basketball Players Association-certified player agent, Cantor enjoys sharing stories about her journey with young women and men who want to work in sports.

Cantor and Falk, who has long been recognized as one of the sports industry鈥檚 leading figures and most talented innovators, visited the Oct. 26 and spent more than three hours speaking with students from classes taught by , director and chair of sport management, and professors , and .

Their main theme was women in sports, but they touched on a variety of topics, including Thompson鈥檚 impact on Falk (鈥淗e was the most influential man in my life,鈥� Falk says); how Cantor landed a four-year, $85 million contract for her first client (Malcolm Brogden) that doubled the contract he was previously offered; and, of course, Falk鈥檚 most famous client, Michael Jordan.

鈥淚 love being able to connect with students,鈥� Cantor said. 鈥淵ou never really know how it鈥檚 going or how they鈥檙e feeling because we鈥檙e doing so much talking, but then they line up and want to talk after class to say, ‘This is amazing and thank you so much for being here and we learned so much.'”

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about, being able to share real-life experiences and real-life stories as opposed to just theories that you read about,鈥� she added.

Cantor said she was impressed with the students鈥� questions. One of them came from Samie Haber 鈥�24, who is interested in ecommerce and digital merchandising with a sports apparel company. She asked Cantor for advice on how to get started as a female in the business world.

鈥淪he said it鈥檚 about connections and told me to have Professor Deninger give me her email and she would help me with those connections, which is very helpful,鈥� Haber said. 鈥淚t was interesting to hear about her experience from a woman鈥檚 perspective, and I feel like together they were able to provide a lot of insight for us.鈥�

In 2017, Sports Business Journal wrote a 鈥淕ame Changers鈥� that highlighted her ascent to the NBA鈥檚 first female player agent. Cantor said she hadn鈥檛 paid much attention to the gender issue, but that story helped her understand her impact on the industry.

鈥淭hat was a turning point in that a lot of work that I would do after that became about helping young women in sports and making sure there are more opportunities for everyone to be in positions of power,鈥� Cantor said.

Sport Management students in Falk College.

200 White Hall was filled with sport management students for the presentation.

During their presentations, Cantor and Falk discussed the evolution of those opportunities and highlighted what has worked鈥攁nd what hasn鈥檛鈥攆or women鈥檚 sports and female athletes in terms of creating a product that consumers want to buy.

鈥淢y biggest takeaway was that women are getting more involved in sports, and I think that鈥檚 very important because of how things were in the past and we want to progress into the future,鈥� Haber said.

In 2010, a gift from Falk and his wife, Rhonda S. Falk 鈥�74, at 黑料不打烊. Falk, the co-founder of FAME who earned an economics degree from 黑料不打烊, says he enjoys returning to campus and engaging with the future leaders of the sport industry.

鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of what Michael Veley has created over the last 18 years (with sport management),鈥� Falk said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique program because it鈥檚 structured to be experiential, like with what we had today (with the presentations). We have amazing professors, the quality of the students is so high, and I鈥檓 so proud that it鈥檚 something that bears my name.鈥�

  • Author

Matt Michael

  • Recent
  • Empowering Learners With Personalized Microcredentials, Stackable Badges
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Hope Alvarez
  • WISE Women’s Business Center Awarded Grant From Empire State Development, Celebrates Entrepreneur of the Year Award
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Dawn McWilliams
  • Rose Tardiff ’15: Sparking Innovation With Data, Mapping and More
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By News Staff
  • Paulo De Miranda G’00 Received 鈥楳uch More Than a Formal Education鈥� From Maxwell
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Jessica Youngman
  • Law Professor Receives 2025 Onondaga County NAACP Freedom Fund Award
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Robert Conrad

More In Campus & Community

Rose Tardiff ’15: Sparking Innovation With Data, Mapping and More

While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in geography in the Maxwell School, Rose Tardiff 鈥�15 became involved with the Salt City Harvest Farm, a community farm near 黑料不打烊 where newcomers from all over the world grow food and make social connections….

Paulo De Miranda G’00 Received 鈥楳uch More Than a Formal Education鈥� From Maxwell

Early in his career, Paulo De Miranda G’00 embarked on several humanitarian aid and peacekeeping assignments around the world. 鈥淲hen we concluded our tasks, we wrote reports about our field work, but many times felt that little insight was given…

Law Professor Receives 2025 Onondaga County NAACP Freedom Fund Award

College of Law Professor Suzette Mel茅ndez, director of the 黑料不打烊 Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, was honored with a 2025 Onondaga County NAACP Freedom Fund Award at their 45th Annual Freedom Fund Award Dinner. Mel茅ndez received the Maye, McKinney & Melchor Freedom…

A&S Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to Retire; New Appointment Announced

After over four decades of dedicated service to the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), Professor Gerald Greenberg is retiring at the end of 2025. He transitioned from his role as A&S senior associate dean for academic affairs; humanities; and…

Delaware Nonprofit Leader Begins 2-Year Term as Alumni Association President

Alonna Berry 鈥�11, executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice and a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, is the new president of the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Association (SUAA) Board of Directors, as of July 1, 2025….

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

For the Media

Find an Expert
© 2025 黑料不打烊. All Rights Reserved.