Professional Career
After passing the Illinois bar examination and receiving his license to practice in 1996, Pelinka joined Mayer Brown. After two years at Mayer Brown, Arn Tellem convinced Pelinka to become a lawyer for SFX management, and after two years at SFX, he became an agent. While with SFX, he worked with Tellem who represented Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, all of whom went directly from high school to the National Basketball Association. Pelinka had become Bryant's agent by the time of the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. While at SFX, he also became the agent for several of his current clients. While at SFX in 2004, he was living in Santa Monica, California and dating a pediatrician. NBA agents earn about 4% of the salary and bonus that they negotiate for their clients.
He then branched out on his own and founded The Landmark Sports Agency. Recently, he has represented several first-round lottery picks: sixth overall 2003 NBA Draft selection, Chris Kaman, ninth overall 2004 NBA Draft selection, Andre Iguodala, eighth overall 2005 NBA Draft selection, Channing Frye, thirteenth overall 2007 NBA Draft selection, Julian Wright, seventh overall 2008 NBA Draft selection, Eric Gordon, and third overall 2009 NBA Draft selection, James Harden, 4th and 13th overall 2010 NBA Draft selections, Wesley Johnson and Ed Davis, 2nd overall 2011 NBA Draft selections, Derrick Williams. Pelinka currently represents 18 NBA players.
- Carlos Boozer - (Primary)
- Kobe Bryant - (Primary)
- Ed Davis - (Primary)
- Keyon Dooling - (Primary)
- Derek Fisher - (Primary)
- Channing Frye - (Primary)
- Eric Gordon - (Primary)
- James Harden - (Primary)
- Andre Iguodala - (Primary)
- Wesley Johnson - (Primary)
- Chris Kaman - (Primary)
- Corey Maggette - (Primary)
- O. J. Mayo - (Primary)
- Morris Peterson - (Primary)
- Sasha Vujačić - (Primary)
- Gerald Wallace - (Primary)
- Derrick Williams - (Primary)
- Julian Wright - (Primary)
Among the players he has formerly represented are DeShawn Stevenson and Fred Hoiberg. A Los Angeles resident who was raised in Illinois, Pelinka represents two players who, like him, played high school basketball in the Chicago area (Corey Maggette and Julian Wright) and a third who had been a high school star in Springfield, Illinois (Iguodala). He has represented several Arizona Wildcats players including Andre Iguodala and Channing Frye. Pelinka is regarded as one of the world's leading sports agents according to Business Insider, who ranked him 5th in 2010.
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